


Primal Rage

by CherryJacks (orphan_account)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drowning, Eco-Terrorism, Fear of Death, Global Disaster, Love Confessions, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Panic Attacks, Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Sapphire universe, Suicidal Thoughts, Survivor Guilt, artistic license on game plot, hardenshipping - Freeform, more so emerald universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-02 09:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4055539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CherryJacks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leader of Team Aqua, Archie Aogiri, still has nightmares about the night Sootopolis fell. The night he succeeded in his plan to awaken the ancient beast Kyogre. The beast proved to be too much, too much for him, too much for the Champion, and too much for the two children that were tasked with stopping it.<br/>Now Archie must travel through the ruins of Hoenn, all while being reminded each day that all of the destruction is his fault. How will he cope when he finds himself alone, not even with a certain Rival by his side? How will anyone survive if Kyogre cannot be stopped?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Treading Water

**Author's Note:**

> (this was a gift but the person I wrote it for didn't really care)

"Do you remember the night Sootopolis fell?"

A small fire burned in a kettle on the large flat boat that held many huddled bodies. Each shifting under wool blankets to get closer to the heat. They all gathered like family even though none who shared the heat knew each other. The main boat they all sat on was tied to many others near it. This created a floating commune, relying on the wind and waves to move it across the large expanse of sea.

One by one members answered the question, each remembered. None were there to witness it, but the tale was well known to those that chose to remain in what little there was to call the Hoenn Region.

"How about you?" The old sailor inquired to the one who had yet to speak.

The silent figure moved forward and placed a few more scraps into the kettle, he adjusted the blanket around himself and finally spoke, "Ya, I remember of course. I'll never forget that night."

A mousy looking woman peeked out from her blanket, "Were you there?" She asked meekly.

"No." The man lied, "But, I lost someone there."

The old sailor poked at the flames in the kettle, "I'm sorry to hear that lad, I lost many an old sailing buddy from that fine city. Stubborn as hell, didn't surprise me that they didn't evacuate."

Another member of the group spoke up, "I hate this. I just keeping traveling where ever I can, hoping that I'll find my family, my friends. I don't want to think that they are dead."

Soon the strangers were comforting each other like they were long time friends. All except the one who refused to show his face. He didn't feel he deserved such comfort. Not when he was the one that caused such wide spread pain.

Archie Aogiri.

He left the group and returned to his own connected ship. It was small, all he needed since he traveled alone. Except for his pokémon of course.

"Hey Triton." Archie quietly cooed.

The large shark-like creature swam back and forth impatiently until finally rewarded with a rough pat on his nose.

"Whoa now, don't rub the skin off my hand."

Triton growled affectionately.

Archie untied his boat from the rest and with Triton's assistance he was pushed out away from the floating settlement. He didn't even bother to raise the ratty sail before he flopped down onto flat bedding in his make ship living quarters.

He felt around until he felt a radio that was hidden under one of his blankets. It was the usual ritual before he allowed himself to get precious hours of sleep. He'd tune in the emergency channel and listen for information for where basic supplies would be made available. Since Hoenn was considered a disaster zone many neighboring regions that could spare supplies did.

Most came from the regions of Unova and Kalos since they were further away. Nearby regions like Kanto and Johto had their own issues to contend with. It appeared Kyogre's influence over the rising seas were causing those regions issues as well. Even Sinnoh had reports of rising sea water.

At least those regions hadn't been reduced to a few dots on a map. Ever Grande City still stood tall, Mt. Chimney also was above water. Mt. Pyre's top was still breathing air, for now.

Of course Pacifidlog  still remained, though much like the small floating communes that formed, there was no telling where the original floating town would turn up. It was Hoenn's only remaining mirage island in a way.

Archie's roughened fingers fiddled with the radio dials until he heard a relatively clear station come in.

_" 30°30'N, 130°0'E. That is the current location of Pacifidlog. As long as we don't get any storms it looks like the city will stay at that location for a few days...... Bzzzzt."_

Quickly the coordinates were scrawled inside a notebook. Archie tried to bring the station back in. It continued to buzz with horrible static before finally taking some pity on the tired man.

_"The ship bringing the supplies to Pacifidlog will also ferry anybody out that wishes to be taken to the Unova region. It is still highly recommended by the Hoenn League that survivors consider evacuation."_

The radio was switched off and Archie poked his head out. Triton nosed up to the side of the boat.

"Well scamp, looks like we're gonna sail out to Pacifidlog as long as the coordinates remain true."

Triton growled in response.

"Aye, I'll get a few hours first then. You keep me from drifting off course while I do though."

The Sharpedo circled the boat with enthusiasm. He bumped the side of the boat, causing Archie to stumble while he attempted to set his vessel on the correct course. Once he was done with that he gave the beast a playful slap.

"Alright you trouble maker, it's all you now. I'm going to catch a few."

Archie heard his partner's cheerful calls before he finally got himself comfortable. He wrapped himself snuggly in the same blanket he was using before to hide himself. After a few yawns escaped him, he finally fell asleep.

~*~

_"Don't you see the disaster you've caused!" Maxie yelled over the raging storm. His usually pristine hair was now flattened in the rain. His clothes were soaked to the bone and clinging to his thin frame._

_Archie knew he didn't look much better. All he could do was stare up at the sky framed by the city's crater. He wished more than anything that he would have listened to his Admins when they started to show concern with the plan. He called Shelly a coward for wanting to back out, she was right though._

_He was an idiot for thinking that he could control Kyogre's wrath. Now he had to sit and wait, hope more than anything that the children could stop the beast._

_He remembered Maxie yelled something else at him, but he couldn't remember what it was. All he could focus on was the fact that he looked so scared. Maxie never showed fear, especially to him. Archie's gaze traced where Maxie was looking. Collapsing out from the Cave of Origin were the children. May and Brendan heaved while they fought back a flood of tears. Wallace and Steven rushed to them and assisted them to their feet._

_"We weren't strong enough!" They sobbed._

_Archie felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach, "What have I done."_

_"You've doomed us all, Hoenn will-"_

_The loud cry of the great beast Kyogre pierced through the cascading storm causing everyone to cover their ears from the horrible sound. Then they saw it. It started with just a crack at the top of the crater wall, but soon grew. A large chunk of the ancient stone dislodged from its place and crashed down into the waiting water below._

_"Arceus no." Came Wallace's voice. He turned quickly to Steven and the children, "Take them out now! Fly, the wall is going to fail!"_

_Beams of red light shot out revealing a Skarmory and a Milotic. Steven grabbed May and Brendan and after one more affirming look from Wallace he flew off through the storm with them._

_Wallace did not immediately flee however. He ran while his Milotic let out her own series of high pitched wails, alerting people from their homes._

_People that were not too stubborn to leave did so. Many called out their own water types and dove with them out of the city. Archie called out his Sharpedo just as more of the crater wall crumbled. Thick steams of water flowed over the broken chunks of wall, it wouldn't be long before the rest came down._

_Archie looked over at Maxie who stood rigid in place, his gaze watched the crumbling wall with horror._

_"Maxie!" He yelled, "Come on it's time to go!"_

_"I'm not going with the likes of you!" He spat back._

_He called out his Crobat. The poor creature looked miserable in the pelting rain. It tried to maintain flight to no avail. It didn't have the advantage of armor to knock the heavy drops away._

_"Maxie, please just come with me!" Archie was now pleading with the stubborn redhead. That final heart wrenching crack caught his attention. The walls failed and a crushing wave of water was now rushing towards the two men._

_He tried, he really tried to pull him onto Sharpedo with him. Maxie managed to pull out of his grasp and soon all he saw was dark water swallowing them both up. Archie struggled against the pull of the water. He tried to reach out to any sign of red, but came back empty handed. Eventually Archie was pulled by Triton, he wasn't willing to sit by and allow his trainer to drown._

~*~

Archie woke up in a coughing fit, he could almost feel the briny water trying to settle back into his lungs. He took a couple of deep breaths and dug into a knapsack to pull out a bottle of water.

After he downed it he grabbed the edge of his blanket and rubbed off the accumulation of sweat and oil from his face. So much for catching a few good hours of sleep, he felt more awful than before. He shifted on his blankets and finally decided that he was better off getting up. He moved over to where he kept a pile of clothing. He made sure to choose something that would aid him in hiding his appearance. Even without his bandana and bright blue wetsuit he still had the occasional moments of having someone recognize him. It always caused him to have to flee.

The people of Hoenn were not too forgiving of the man that awoke an ancient titan that everyone had to live in fear of. He would need to be careful this time around. Upon further inspection of his knapsack, he was dangerously low on supplies. The last thing he needed was to be chased away from another supply drop.

After he dressed himself with a heavy hood he walked to the other end of his tiny cabin.

"Ack!" He covered his eyes from an assaulting sunbeam. The light shining in from his single cutout window refracted off the lens of a pair of glasses that rested on a makeshift built in table. Archie frowned once he spotted them. He walked over and brought them into his hand. They were thick framed with black side panels. His finger traced the gleaming keystone that was embedded on one side. Carefully he folded them back up and slid them into the front pocket of his hood. There wasn't a good reason for him to carry the glasses around with him other than it just acted as a constant reminder for what his plan cost him.

~*~

He couldn't stay away once Kyogre's first rampage finally calmed. At that point most of Hoenn was already underwater. He dove back into the crumbled bowl of the city with Triton. He pushed his lungs to their very limits as he desperately searched the flooded wreckage of what was once Sootopolis.

He searched and searched until his lungs burned and his head ached. Then he saw them, the glasses. Once he surfaced on Triton he just laid on his trusted companion's back while he twisted his single find in his fingers. He didn't know what it was he was even hoping to find. Did he really want to find the waterlogged corpse of his old rival, friend, more? Most bodies already became food for wild Sharpedo and Carvanha. It was just the ocean's way of cleaning up a mess, a mess he caused.

It wasn't until he returned to his small boat that he felt his eyes burn. He shut away into his cabin. No amount of crying from Triton made him leave for many hours. Archie needed to be alone, he needed to think. He did this while he continued to hold the glasses his palm. He thought about Shelly, Matt, and all of Team Aqua. His own team got caught up in Kyogre's rage. Shelly made sure to tell him the exact number of members that were confirmed dead or missing. After that she left, took the first boat that was taking survivors out of the flooded hellhole. Matt followed shortly, but only because Archie told him to leave. Team Aqua was done, there would be nothing to salvage.

Archie thought about Maxie and Team Magma. He thought about how much the short redhead used to piss him off to no end. He thought about every name and curse that was thrown between them, every annoyance he felt when Magma interrupted his plans. Eventually the thoughts shifted to times before. Before there was Team Magma and Team Aqua. A time there was simply them. They worked together in the same team before they fled and left that life far behind them. He remembered long nights spend together trying to come up with ways to better the world.

Archie's vision blurred as more memories came to him. Sometimes those late nights would lead to more personal chats. They found that they could talk for hours about their lives, interests, and various hobbies. This would then lead to days spent out exploring Hoenn. One day they traveled out to various private beaches that ran up by nature paths to watch pods of Wailmer surface and decorate the air with mist. Another day would be spent climbing Mt. Chimney's summit and munching on lava cookies.

Archie remembered one memory quite fondly. They were both exhausted from the long day of hiking so they checked into a nearby hotel. They were both too tired to care that the only room available had only one bed. Once backpacks were dropped from tired backs and shoes toed off, the pair flopped onto the springy mattress.

They turned to face each other so they could talk about the exciting day they shared. Once Archie noticed that Maxie still wore his glasses he gently reached over and removed them from his face. Archie had to reach over his body to place them onto the nearby nightstand. Once his gaze was back on the redhead he noticed a bit of color forming on his cheeks.

Archie smiled, "What's the matter Maxie? You still warm from standing too close to the vol-"

Maxie pushed himself forward and pressed a firm kiss against the larger man's lips.

'"W...why did ya do that now!" Archie could feel heat rising to his face, causing them to share in Maxie's color.

"You smiled, I took it as an invitation."

Archie stared at the other man a bit shocked. He slumped back against his pillows before he could finally find his voice again, "Well, at least that answered a question for me."

"What question is that?" Maxie asked with a raised eyebrow.

The larger man let out a chuckle and pulled Maxie into an embrace, "Whether or not I can do this!"

Their lips locked again and they spend most of the evening like that until they finally fell asleep holding onto each other.

The times that passed after that held some of the best memories of Archie's life. The pair was inseparable. They also proved to be quite unbeatable side by side. A good living could be made on battle competitions and they exclusively battled in the cooperative 2v2 circuit.

It was their shared interest in Hoenn myth that soon drove a wedge between them. Where at one time they enjoyed a friendly debate about their preferred legends, now with followers under their wings the debates got less and less friendly.

_"Kyogre is too unpredictable!"_

_"Oh and Groudon is any better!?"_

_"That's different and you know it! I forbid it, we are not wasting recourses on finding this stupid fish!"_

_"Oh? The Great Maxie forbids it? Well good luck finding your stupid lizard, especially since I already dumped your files on it in the ocean!"_

_"Bastard! You bastard! GET OUT OF HERE! Take your scum bag followers with you!"_

That was the end of their partnership and the beginning of their bitter rivalry. Whenever one group could set back the other they would. Battles that were once fought side by side were now fought against each other. Pokémon that once played together were now biting at each other's flesh.

In the end Archie won, he awoke his legendary. He was pleased that Maxie was there to see it. The look on his face made all the many years of planning worth it. Of course it hadn't gone according to his plan and in the end it really wasn't worth it. Maybe it would have been different if Maxie found Groudon first. Maybe the beast would have been easier to control, though it probably would have been much of the same. The same problem painted a different color.

~*~

Back in Archie's small cabin he padded the front pocket that held the glasses. He would never know how it could have been different, but he just wished that it was.

_"I'm sorry Maxie, I'm so sorry."_

Triton leapt up and over the boat in pure excitement once he saw Archie emerge from the cabin. He swam up to the edge and eyed his trainer with intelligent eyes. A gentle sound caused Archie to glance over towards his loyal partner. His fingers scratched the large X mark on his nose, "Hey there boy, you did really good."

Triton let out another gentle sound, this time sounding a bit concerned.

"I'm fine Triton, really. Don't start getting upset over me." Archie wanted to add that he wasn't worth it, but he knew that Triton would only fuss more at that. For such a savage looking creature, Triton really did have a gentle nature.

"Alright, let's see if we can get some eyes on this elusive town, huh?" Archie grabbed a pokeball off his belt and sent it airborne.

"Cro!" called his large Crobat as it burst from her capsule. She circled the sky in tight circles before finally hovering above the boat's cabin.

"Ey, Lani. I need ya to fly out ahead and get eyes on a settlement for me."

Lani practically purred before she zipped off. Her four strong wings wasted no time in propelling her off into the distance. It wasn't long before her bright purple body was seen flitting about nearby. On her return she engaged Triton in a quick conversation and soon Triton was nosing the side of the boat to gain Archie's attention. He looked up from a small calendar that he just finished crossing out days on, he pocketed it before he addressed his two pokémon.

"Alright you two. Lani you lead the way, Triton you ready to pull me in?"

The  Sharpedo watched his trainer eagerly and made happy calls once a harness that fixed to the front of the vessel was brought out.

"Yer eager today, Triton."

Once the pokémon was fitted with the harness it powered the boat forward while watching Lani fly ahead to show the way. Triton showed a great deal of restraint while it swam through the water. He knew that being too rough could ruin the integrity of his trainer's boat.  

Archie let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw the floating town of Pacifidlog finally come into view. The coordinates proved to be fairly accurate after all.

Similar to the rest of the floating communes that dotted random places in the sea, Pacifidlog was made larger by the many boats and rafts that were tied to it. One grand ship stuck out in particular. It was a massive cargo ship. He could see multiple sailors carrying boxes up and down the large ramp. A line of people all huddled around the ramp, looked like they were hoping to board and finally leave Hoenn.

Archie tied his own boat to one nearby and left Triton and Lani to guard it. It wasn't the best vessel, but he still didn't want any punk to sail off with it.

Nobody raised an eye to him when he seamlessly cut into the crowd. Never had the floating town been so full of people. With the promise of supplies or a free ride out, it made sense as to why the bobbing streets were packed. The streets were so packed in fact that Archie could feel some water lapping at the bottom of his shoes. It may have concerned him if it wasn't so dire for him to claim supplies.

"How many with you sir?"

"Uh, just me... and four pokémon." Archie answered, he was just glad that his name wasn't asked for this time. The woman running the line for supplies pushed her glasses up from the tip of her nose, she gave him a long look before finally writing a note on her clipboard.

"Right, you get a blue box." An assistant next to her lifted up the small package and turned it over to him. Archie couldn't help but notice how light it was, but he was already pushed out of the line by the many waiting bodies.

 _"Probably didn't get shit for my pokémon."_ He thought irritably. He didn't have to worry too much about Triton and Lani, both were good to hunt for themselves. Brute, his Muk, wasn't picky about his diet. He could eat just about anything and frequently did so if he wasn't watched. It was his Mightyena, Seymour, that worried him. He hardly let the pup out of his pokeball anymore. Maybe he could convince Lani or Triton to bring back something for him to eat. Anything was a better option than letting him sit in his ball.

Archie looked over at the town's Pokémon Center that still managed to function, with some electric pokémon aid. The thought of transferring Seymour over to Shelly or Matt certainly crossed his mind.

"Oh! Oof! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't see ya there, let me help you."

Archie couldn't believe how distracted he just got. Not even thinking be bashed into someone in front of him, causing them to drop their box of supplies. He quickly grabbed bottles of water that were attempting to make the dive of the edge of the street. He piled cans and containers of nonperishable food back into the stranger's box.

"Here you go, sorry again." He said while he attempted to hand over the box to its owner.

Suddenly he froze at the sight in front of him. The person was trying their damndest to hide their face from him and he soon knew why. Only so many people had that striking red hair paired with those reddened irises. Only so many people with those things would be trying to keep him from seeing them.

"M...Maxie?"

Without even thinking Archie reached out to him and brushed a strand of crimson hair in his fingers.

"I thought you died..."

Suddenly the man snatched the box away from him and cut back into the surrounding crowd.

"Wait! no, come back!" Archie scrambled up and tried to maneuver through the mass of people. He kept his eyes peeled on one dot of red that was already well ahead of him. Finally escaping the flock of people that surrounded the dock waiting to board the cargo ship, he saw Maxie standing on one of the town floats with a pokeball in hand.

"Wait!" He called out again, "Don't leave, I want to talk to you!"

The redhead gave him a silent stare and released his own Crobat from his capsule. Before flying off on the creature he spoke, "Goodbye, Archie."

Archie just watched while the blurred image of red and purple disappeared into the distance. What he was left with was a strange combination of emotions. He was upset that Maxie wouldn't stay so he could talk to him, but that was soon overshadowed by a stronger feeling.

"He's alive, he's really alive."


	2. Diving into the Deep

Archie's little boat bobbed along in the gentle waves. It was tied currently to an overturned tree that rested on the available land that remained on Mt. Pyre. Laying out on a small patch of grass was the ex-Aqua leader. He was looking over the calendar that he kept in his pocket while Seymour rested his head on one of his legs. Triton was out hunting with Lani. Brute's eyes bubbled up from underneath the boat's hull. He apparently found something to snack on and was currently quite content.

Another day was crossed out and Archie looked at a mark he had down for the following day.

"Should happen again..." He whispered.

Seymour cocked up his head and received a pleasant scratch behind his ears.

"Don't you worry yourself boy, we'll hunker down before tomorrow."

Archie was referring to Kyogre. He found that the beast appeared to have a pattern as to when it rampaged and according to his calendar tomorrow was the day. He only hoped that the top of Mt. Pyre would still be above water once the storm passed, he had hoped to hide out in a nearby cave until it did.

Seymour's tail slapped against his leg while he continued to be pet. He was enjoying the time out of his ball. His ears perked up at Lani's cry. The speedy Crobat was rushing back with a prize held in her mouth. Seymour jumped back repulsed at the small Tentacool that was dropped in front of him. Archie could only laugh at the reaction.

"Good girl." He praised while he scratched one of Lani's wings, "Ey now Seymour, once I cook that you'll like it."

The Mightyena puffed air out of his nose, he wasn't convinced. His ears were flattened from his trainer's reassuring pats. Archie shook his head while Seymour continued to eye the Tentacool with disgust.

"You know, Lani." He began as he walked down to his boat to grab some supplies, "You could have brought back a Barboach."

After some digging he found a fire starting kit and a cast-iron pan. He collected anything dry and started to work on his fire. Once that was beginning to look quite promising, he pulled out a pocket knife and started to clean the Tentacool. He removed all the tentacles and threw them into the pan. He started to work on the hood, taking great care not to knick any poison glands. Once he was satisfied that he collected everything edible from the creature, Archie chucked the remains towards Brute. He happily consumed them instantly.

Once he started cooking Seymour's nose started to work like mad. He sniffed the sizzling Tentacool chunks warily before he flopped down next to Archie. His tail beat at the ground excitingly, he was now eager for some food.

"See, what I tell ya." Archie reached his free hand over and gave the Mightyena a scratch under the chin.

They ate, Archie made sure Seymour got most of it. He almost seemed upset once his share was all ate up. His nose was planted against the ground while he searched for any lingering scraps. Once he was sure that there were indeed none to be found, he settled his head on Archie's lap and yawned.

Archie scratched his ears and simply sat and watched the fire crackle and burn. His mind wandered at the sight of it. He thought about a certain fiery redhead with a volcanic temper.

_"He lived."_

It was still hard to believe that he survived in Sootopolis. How, he just didn't know. All he cared about was that he had. The details could be figured out once he got Maxie to speak with him. That was certainly going to be easier said than done. Archie was certain the man hated him. Of course at one time he would have said that he hated Maxie as well.

Why was it different now? Archie could only wager that thinking that Maxie met his end from his foolishness made him realize a few things. The first one being that he didn't like the idea of Maxie's death. The other was that he knew he still cared for the other man. He just pushed it aside during their rivalry and focused on the new hate he used to fill the void.

With the hate now gone all he could feel was the void left behind. He just wanted to try to fix something with Maxie, have some sort of forgiveness. It all rode on Maxie pushing aside his own stubbornness as well and that wasn't likely.

_"I don't deserve any chance to be happy for what I've done."_

The depressing thoughts were seeping back into his mind. He was fine with his chosen punishment. He would just wander Hoenn until either his boat sank or Kyogre finally claimed him in a storm. What a fitting fate for the so called "King of the seas". No one would even shed a tear, he was sure of it.

 _"No, Matt and Shelly would be upset. Even though Shelly wouldn't admit it to you while she was mad."_  

That would be the extent of those who would even bother with a funeral. Archie closed his eyes and let the scene play out in his mind. Shelly would say a few words probably. Matt might cry, he was always a secret softie. They might stare at his body, if there was one to even be found, and say their final goodbyes. Archie was prepared to allow the scene to fade away and let his mind wander elsewhere, when someone else approached him in his mind.

Maxie approached the coffin and rested his thin hands against it. He wasn't crying, but his eyes looked misty and downcast.

"You're an idiot." He said.

It wasn't said with any venom or anger like in the past. It held a definite amount of pain in each word. Maxie then reached over and layered his hands on Archie's own.

"I miss you."

It wasn't Maxie's voice that said this, but Archie's. He sniffed and looked up around him. Seymour and Triton eyed him with concerned expressions.

Archie wiped away the evidence of any tears from his face, "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

~*~

The rest of the day was spent tying down the boat and collecting supplies to store in the nearby cave. He placed out a bedroll and lit a small lantern. It wasn't a large cave, but it served well for a temporary secret base. The flickering light danced on the uneven surface of the wall. Seymour let out a yelp when it cast his shadow in a distorted manner.

"Seymour." Archie called in a low tone, "It'll be ok, you wanna get back in your pokeball little scamp?"

The Mightyena scurried to his side and pressed his nose against his capsule on Archie's belt.

"Alright, I'll bring you out when all the danger is passed."

Never before did Archie see a pokémon so relieved to be returned. It was for the best, Seymour never did like storms. The poor thing must have been able to sense that something was going to happen soon. Seymour's skittish nature caused Archie to switch on his radio, just in case. If a weather advisory came in, he wanted to know. He pulled out his calendar and looked at the date again.   

"I'm sure it won't be until later on tomorrow, but better be safe."

Before he settled down for the night he returned the rest of his team. It was one thing when he was sleeping on the boat, it was another when he stayed in a cave. He just felt more secure having his team on hand.

Too bad Seymour was in a state that night. As Archie huddled under his blankets he sure wished that he could have his Mightyena nearby to help keep him warm. Before he rolled onto his stomach he made sure to stop himself, he almost crushed the glasses that were in his front pocket. He carefully placed them on the stone next to him.

Once he got himself fairly comfortable again he wondered to himself about how he could finally return the glasses to Maxie. Once the next storm passed he would try to find him again. Maybe then he could ask him some questions, like how did he survive, and what he was still doing in Hoenn?

~*~

" _Bzzt.... bzzzzzzzt... This is an incoming storm advisory for the area of Hoenn and surrounding regions... bzzzt.......... Mt. Chimney.....bzzzzzt .... Champion Steven advises everyone to stay indoors... bzzt.. repeat storm is centered at Mt. Chimney."_

Archie groggily brought his radio in closer to inspect it. Had he heard it correctly? A bright flash from outside caught his eye. He gathered himself off the floor and stood at the mouth of the cave looking out at the sea. Off to the west he could see the large storm forming. Not so much forming, but already formed. The flashes of lightning were becoming more and more frequent.

"One Chikorita, two Chikorita, three..." Archie counted softly to himself. Once he reached six he heard the rumble of thunder.

A slow panic began to build, Maxie was at Mt. Chimney. He truly didn't know for sure, but something in his gut told him it was true. If the storm was settled there would he have proper shelter? What shelter could protect anyone from that type of storm? It wasn't just the rain and wind that caused trouble. No, that was easily dealt with. It was Kyogre itself that caused the destruction.

~*~

On Kyogre's second rampage, Champion Steven thought he was ready. With gym leaders and the rest of the league at his side they launched an onslaught of attacks from a large company vessel. They hoped to weaken the beast and capture it.

The plan went south soon after the first wave attacks hit their mark. Kyogre, having absorbed energy from its well of power deep down in the sea, didn't even flinch at the attack. It's glowing orb-like eyes centered on its target and a massive wave of water struck the ship and capsized it. Most of the gym leaders wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for Wallace's quick actions. With all of his pokémon called forth, he managed to rescue his fellow leaders and retreat to Ever Grande.

Eventually Kyogre disappeared, but it left tragedy behind. Elite Four Sidney was lost with the ship. A candle light vigil was held in his honor and his name was added to the list of victims that met their end from Kyogre's wrath.

"We will stop this beast." Champion Steven promised his fellow league members, "I won't make another mistake like this again."

He swore that he wouldn't allow anyone else to die, Sidney's death would not be in vain. It was time to get the surrounding leagues involved.

~*~

Archie returned to the inside of the cave and grabbed his belt that held his team. After pondering it briefly, he also collected Maxie's glasses and placed them back into his hood pocket.

Back out near his boat he checked his knots, he wanted to make sure his boat would still be there upon his eventual return. With a flash of red light Lani sprung fourth. She looked at her trainer with a puzzled expression.

"We need to make a late night trip Lani, I just want to check something."

The sky lit up again in the distance. Lani flattened her ears and stared off at the web of flashing light that decorated growing dark clouds. She just knew that Archie wanted her to fly towards it.

~*~

Mt. Chimney stood defiant against the building storm. Each flash of lightning brought the mountain into clearer view in the inky blackness of the night. One flash lit up a wall of debris that was being used to prevent the invading sea water from flooding into the inactive Magma base.

The base curved down into the bowels of the mountain. The lone visitor was far too deep inside to hear the crash of thunder attempting to rattle one of the mountain faces loose. He couldn't hear the angry sizzle from incoming rain drops hitting against the lava pool.

The thick walls of the base and the storm made radio signals useless. The ex-Magma leader never heard the weather advisory.

He searched until he came across his old office. His eyes strained as he flipped through files he kept in his desk. After finding some of interest, Maxie carefully folded them and put them away in his pocket.

He made his way over to a safe on the wall and tried his best to make out the numbers so he could open it.

"Damn it!" He spat.

It was proving to be a difficult task and the more he strained his eyes, the more his head threatened to erupt into a full migraine. Maxie continued to struggle with his impeded vision until he felt water at his ankles.

He froze, watching the water form around his feet.

"I need to leave, time to leave now!"

Maxie stumbled while he sprinted through the water. The closer he got to the surface the louder the pelting rain became. He cried out when a loud crash of thunder shook him to his core, but he kept running.

"Zeru!" He desperately screamed as he called out his Crobat, "Help me!"

Zeru allowed his master to grab hold of him before he zoomed off towards the exit. The creature's wings never beat so hard in his life, it was all too familiar. The Crobat cried out with a mix a determination and fear as the exit came into view.

With each pass of lightning it became clear how dire the situation had become. Maxie could only watch in horror as the wall of debris was washed out of the way. He knew it would hit him, that there was no way Zeru could fly him out.

Before the wall came down on him he cried out one last command.

"Zeru, return!"

The water struck him like a truck. Maxie felt his body twist and be thrown in the strong sucking current. He tried to kick to push himself into an air pocket, but the current pulled him further under. Like a ragdoll, the water tossed his body against walls and doorways until he was finally sucked into a storage room.

He gasped as his head finally found air. He balanced himself on top of a metal shelf so he could keep his head above the water. He tried to move his right arm to gain a better grip on the object, but the intense pain was too much. The arm was broken.

He coughed and spat as water tried to flow into his mouth. It wouldn't be long before the small pocket of air wasn't available. Maxie tried to calm the rapid rate of his heart, but it was no use. He was scared, terrified even of what was to come.

He climbed the shelf until his face pressed against the rough ceiling. This would be his tomb it seemed. Evading death once, only to die later the same way he escaped. In his base no less. If he wasn't so busy being terrified at the idea of drowning, he may have found the irony of the situation funny. The Great Maxie drowning underneath a volcano, who would have expected it?

A thought crossed his mind to take in a huge breath of water, just end it now instead of letting panic continue to rip into him. It made sense to him to do it, but his primal urge to fight death prevented the act. He was finally forced to take a final breath, it ended up being more water than air. Any idea he still possessed in having a dignified death was thrown to the wayside. He struggled, he kicked, he thrashed, and his lungs filled with water.

~*~

Archie struggled to stay attached to Lani as they flew into the wall of rainfall. The Crobat wobbled in flight and let out frustrated sounds. Archie tried to reassure her to fly on, but he knew that she was getting fatigued. He needed to land, but with the heavy rain visibility was low.

"CRO!" Lani shrieked as she evaded a bolt of lightning. The quick flash allowed Archie to see it. Not the mountain like he hoped, but Kyogre. Its whole body glowed under the turbulent surface of the water. As it rose from the depths, the wind became stronger. The heavy drops strung as they beat into Archie's body.

"There!" He called once he saw a place to land at the side of the mountain. Lani tried her best to land carefully, but her wings failed her and they were both send sprawling across the muddy ground.

"Lani, are you ok!" Archie rushed to his Crobat's side. She cooed weakly to him. She would be alright as long as she rested. The beam of red light called her back to safety.

The muddy ground dissolved under each step. This caused Archie to lose his footing while he tried to move around the mountain and search for any signs that Maxie was indeed there. He slipped down an incline and managed to stop himself before diving into a rushing river of water. The area looked familiar to him. It wasn't until more lightning crackled across the sky that he knew why.

It was the Magma base, or was. Water flowed into it at an impressive rate. Archie felt his stomach twist with a distressing thought. What if Maxie was down there?

Surely he was elsewhere on the Mountain turned island. He couldn't be down in his base, trapped by the rushing water, possibly drowning, or worse already drowned.

"Shit!" Archie yelled. He called out Triton. The large Sharpedo materialized in front of him.

"I just need to make sure! We are going down there Triton!"

Triton growled with understanding and allowed Archie to board. He was unafraid of the rushing water, Triton always was a strong swimmer.

After Archie took a large breath they dived into the rapids. The strong current brought them into the flooded base quickly. Triton dodged large chunks of debris that were used to build up the protective wall. Archie could hardly see, but he knew Triton could.

The Sharpedo paused in a passageway. He appeared to be trying to pick up on any strange vibrations. All of a sudden he rushed forward, his mouth opened wide and let out a loud cry.

 _"Good boy, Triton. Find him!"_ Archie thought while he gripped the pokémon's fin. The Sharpedo rushed ahead with urgency, he clearly sensed something and knew he didn't have much time.

He pushed into what was once a storage room and that's when Archie finally saw him. Maxie's eyes were shut, his mouth hung loosely open. Strong arms reached out and pulled the frail body in close. Archie tapped Triton to let him know it was time to surface.

Using his full strength, Triton carried the two men out of the flooded base. He broke the surface and landed himself onto the muddy bank.

"Thank you! Return!" Archie crawled up the incline with Maxie in tow. He was trying to find a place to set him that was out of the rain. Finding nothing, he laid him out on a flattened surface.

"Come on you asshole! You aren't getting away from me just yet!"

Archie rushed to check Maxie's pulse, nothing.

"Oh no you don't!"

He began chest compressions, after about thirty he checked for breathing.

"Maxie! Damn it, breathe!"

He carefully tilted Maxie's head back and lifted his chin, he pressed his mouth against his and gave two good breaths. Then he was back to chest compressions. He alternated and continued even though Maxie continued to not breathe.

"I. Didn't. Come. Here. To. Let. You. Die!" He yelled these words over the storm as he finished a round of chest compressions. Then he gave another two breaths.

Maxie sputtered, Archie helped him to his side as he expelled water from his lungs. He continued to gasp for air until he fell weakly back onto the waterlogged earth. Archie lifted him and with a tug on his arm Maxie let out a loud pained scream.

"I..it's b...broken!" He wailed.

Archie made sure he was more careful in moving him. Now that he was breathing he needed to get them out of the storm, preferably on higher ground.

Kyogre continued to bring the full extent of its rage on the mountain. It was through Jirachi's blessing that Archie was able to spot the small entrance of the cave. The shelter proved to be enough to block out the wailing wind and pounding rain. Every lightning strike continued to shake the ground beneath them. Archie just had to believe that the mountain would hold.

He placed Maxie against one of the walls, he was now holding his broken arm protectively. Archie stepped out by the small entrance of the cave. The storm was showing no signs of slowing down. No, Kyogre had plenty of energy. It would not let up anytime soon.

Archie turned his attention to Maxie who started to cough savagely. He expelled a bit more water out from his mouth and then turned his red eyes on Archie, "How did you know?"

"Know what?" He responded after more lightning struck the mountain.

"Where I was, how did you know?"

Archie moved away from the entrance and sat down next to the redhead, "I don't know, I just feared you were here when I heard the weather advisory."

Maxie coughed a bit more and grimaced as he held his arm, "Why do you care?"

Archie didn't answer right away. He thought that it should be obvious as to why he still cared. Truth was, he never stopped caring.

"Why wouldn't I care Maxie? I'm not one to so quickly toss out my feelings."

Maxie didn't speak after that, he only huddled his cold body closer when another lightning strike rocked the mountain. Archie didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around the smaller man. Some things were easier to express without words.

~*~

The storm didn't let up until the following afternoon. Once the sky cleared there were hardly any signs of the storm that tore through the sky before. Mt. Chimney bore a few new scars, but it was left relatively unharmed.

Still huddled together inside the small cave was Archie and Maxie. At some point during the night they passed out from exhaustion. Maxie was the first to wake, the pain in his arm was greater than before. He shifted in Archie's grasp which made him hiss from the pain.

"Get up." He prodded.

Archie grumbled a bit, he was a bit disoriented from the night before. Upon seeing Maxie it all came rushing back to him.

"Are you ok?" He asked hastily, moving himself away so Maxie could get up off the rocky floor.

Maxie went back to supporting his injured arm, "No, I'm really not. Everything hurts."

"That makes sense." Archie walked over to the other man and carefully examined his arm, "I need to set that for you."

Maxie paled, "Must you?"

Archie nodded, "I must. You'll have to come back with me to Mt. Pyre though. I need my supplies from there." He turned and walked to the end of the cave, he only turned around when he noticed that Maxie was not following him.

"Maxie, I'm not leaving without you. Especially like this."

The redhead considered his options briefly before finally joining Archie outside.

"I'm only joining you because I have no choice."

"Right."

Archie released Lani from her ball and offered his hand to Maxie to assist him onto her back. The ex-Magma only stared at the offered hand.

"Max... please don't make this difficult."

Archie assisted him onto the Crobat and made sure to hold him securely while they flew away from the volcano. During the flight Archie was glad Maxie couldn't see him. He could hardly keep his grin from forming while he wrapped his arms around Maxie's slender waist. Even though it wasn't for the best circumstances, he was just glad that he could hold him again.

Lani's landing at Mt. Pyre was far more graceful than her landing last night. He helped Maxie from her back and left her to fly free.

Archie was glad to see that his ship remained in one piece. He stepped aboard and dug through his cabin until he found two sets of dry clothes and some scraps of cloth to use on Maxie's arm.

"I need to get you out of those clothes." Archie bit the side of his cheek so he didn't chuckle at his statement.

Maxie failed to look amused, but didn't voice any annoyance. His clothes were still soaked and it wouldn't be good for his health to remain in them. He stared at the clothing selection that Archie placed down in front of him, "Those won't fit."

"No shit, I'm bigger than you."

Maxie sighed and worked to remove his top. It proved difficult with his painful arm.

"Do you need my help?" Archie offered.

This caused the other man to flush slightly, "No..."

"It really looks like you could use some help..."

Maxie huffed, "Fine, shut up and help me."

Again Archie hid his smile as he carefully pulled the top off the other man, "I'm sorry if I hurt ya."

Once the top was removed Archie held his shock at the amount of bruises that painted the pale man's skin purple. The crashing water really beat the shit out of him.

"Need help with the rest?"

"No, no, no! Go away now, don't come back until I tell you to!"

Archie shrugged and returned back into his cabin. He wanted to change out of his clothes as well. As he was removing his hood he felt the pair of glasses that still resided in the pocket. He brought them out, thankful that the eventful night didn't crack them.

Once he was done changing he hung his wet clothes over the side of his boat to let them dry in the sun. He then walked back to where he left Maxie, he was currently struggling with the ties on the pants.

"Here I got ya, just hold your arm."

Maxie went rigid once Archie moved over and pulled the ties tight so the pants wouldn't slip off his hips. It was almost comedic how large the clothes were on the redhead.

"Alright, now for the fun part. Lemme see your arm."

"Make it quick please- ow! Ffffff.."

Archie did his best to set the bone, thankfully it wasn't broke in multiple places. He used a couple nearby branches to keep the arm straight while he wrapped it in the cloth scraps.

"That isn't too tight now?" He asked while he knotted the ends together.

Maxie shook his head and Archie proceeded to tear at an old shirt and create a sling for his arm to rest in.

"There you go, that should work."

Maxie inspected Archie's handy work. It was crude, but he couldn't argue that it didn't serve its purpose.

"Thank you." He muttered.

"Oh hold on, I keep forgetting." Archie brought out the glasses.

"H..how did you find those!?"

"We'll talk about it later if you want to." Carefully he slid them onto Maxie's face. His hands lingered longer than necessary on the sides of his face, his fingers trailed against his jaw. Maxie seemed to push only slightly into the touch.

After some silence between them Maxie spoke, "You look awful."

Archie couldn't help but laugh, "Thanks, nice to see you too!"

He smiled freely when he felt Maxie run his fingers through his rough beard. Archie leaned in for a kiss, but Maxie turned and backed away.

"I can't do anything like this..." Maxie murmured, "I lost everything."

Archie stood quietly, he really had nothing that he could say except, "I'm sorry."

"I need to stop this, I need to awaken Groudon. It is the only thing that can counter Kyogre."

Archie stared at the ex-Magma leader shocked. All the years he spent to prevent such a thing. All the times he sabotaged Team Magma and set back the famous "Ten-year plan". He would have never expected he would ever say what he was about to say.

"Let me help you."


	3. Downpour

With a flash of fluffy black tails, two Mightyenas rushed up and down thinly grassed hills. They climbed, while barking happily, up steeper parts of Mt. Pyre's island. Before finally rolling on the soft ground that the water gently lapped against. Tongues hung lazily out of long snouts while the two creatures proceeded to soak up the morning rays. A small cloud of dust formed from their combined thudding tails. They were content, just happy to have each other's company on the small dot of land.

Archie watched fondly while he cleaned the inside of his cabin. Brute's eyes bubbled up to the side impatiently, he wanted more scraps of trash to eat. Some moldy and rather unrecognizable can of mystery food was thrown into the Muk's waiting mouth, "You are a black hole, scamp." Archie rubbed what could be considered the creature's head, only to rub the slime off on his pant leg, "Behave yourself now, ya hear."

Brute sank back to the bottom of the vessel while his master jumped onto solid land. He made his way to the pile of fur that was his and Maxie's Mightyenas, "Hey there Seymour, this lass treating you right."

Agni, Maxie's Mightyena, gave the ex-Aqua Leader a dangerous look. Her ears pressed into her skull, hair brisling around her collar.

"Don't be like that now," Archie teased while he fearlessly scratched the irritated pup under her chin, "You'll grow to like me, I'm sure of it."

It was about that time that Maxie made his appearance from the hillside cave. His glasses were pressed up on his nose, his expression twisted in irritation matching his pokémon, "She still doesn't like you Archie, leave her alone before she bites you."

"Fine, fine, I'll leave her be," Archie turned his affection to Seymour instead, "You watch her now."

Maxie rolled his eyes at the ridiculous display and slumped down on a nearby embankment with a prized can of peaches held in the hand of his broken arm. His free hand worked to cut the can open with a (as Maxie was claiming) shitty can opener. Hardly any progress was made before he winced in pain from stressing his bad limb, the can dropped and rolled down the slope, only to be collected by Archie.

He didn't mock his companion, not like he would have in the past. He just quietly joined Maxie on the hill, slipped the can opener out from his fingers, and used it to open the stubborn can. Then he held it so the ex-Magma Leader could grab a slippery slice and cram it into his mouth.

"A bit hungry?" Archie commented, raising an eyebrow.

Maxie didn't grace him with a reply, only proceeded to grab another piece and busy himself by eating. The dark-haired man eventually helped himself to some as well and both men sat in the small slice of offered shade and finished off the contents for breakfast.

It was a blessing, the can of peaches. They were a sweet delicacy that was hard to come by anymore. Archie still remembered when he got them, it was one of his first care packages. The box was well packaged, the label hand written in a language that he recognized as Kalosian. Whoever the man that went by _Monsieur Fleur-de-lis_ was, he was very generous. Once word got around about the packages from Kalos, they became a hot commodity. The ex-Aqua leader was never able to get his hands on one since the first.  Archie had intended to save the single can that remained from the package for a special occasion, but what else could be more special than sharing them with your long time enemy?

Maxie purposely avoided eye contact even after they ate. It was plain to see that the man wanted to maintain his distance ever since he arrived at Mt. Pyre. Archie respected it and slept in his boat to give him his space. It was while they finally sat together watching their Mightyenas cuddle in the light, that Archie took the opportunity to converse.

"Why don't you call out your Camerupt? I'm sure she would enjoy some exercise."

"I don't have Cammi with me anymore." Maxie answered without shifting his glance, "I left her in Courtney's care when I chose to remain in Hoenn."

"Oh, so Courtney left? What about that other Admin of yours?" Archie pondered for a moment, "Tabitha right?"

Maxie's body suddenly went rigid, his red eyes flashed and practically burned holes into the man sitting next to him. A cord was struck and Archie had no time to prepare for the gate he just unknowingly opened, "Tabitha is gone." He spat, "Died in Sootopolis."

Archie's face instantly lost color, he held his hands up defensively while he rambled, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't kno-"

"Of course you didn't!" Maxie struggled to his feet, ignoring any attempts in assistance, "He died saving me you know! He pulled me onto a floating tree section so I wouldn't drown." The redhead's eyes glistens and continued to flash dangerously, "Do you know how long it took for rescue to come? Do you!" His voice could nearly quake the ground around them. Maxie's rage was all too familiar, but what Archie was witnessing was different. There was a burning aura that lashed out from his thin body, but his shaking suggested a much different pain.

Archie remained silent, choosing instead to stare at the raging man in front of him and wait for him to continue.

"We waited hours while the storm raged! Every moment was a struggle just to stay above the surging waves!" Maxie's quivering knees failed him and he collapsed back onto the bank. His thunderous yelling attracted the attention of their nearby pokémon. Agni's tail drooped while she listened to her trainer recall the horrible memory, Seymour hid behind her shoulder and kept his eyes glued to the dirt. Zeru and Lani circled above, diving in close to inspect the commotion. Triton eyed his trainer, waiting for any potential order to attack. His memories were still tainted regarding the ex-Magma leader's interactions with his master.

"Tabitha, he just..." He struggled with the exact words, his voice cracked as he tried to continue, "I don't even know what happened. One second he was right next to me and the next he was gone..." The redhead's eyes glimmered further before thick tears made themselves known, "I never saw him again!"

For the first time in a long while Archie saw Maxie break down. He watched with building guilt as the other man sobbed. It cut into his heart and reminded him of how much he hurt everyone around him. Tabitha was yet another victim in his thoughtless scheme, another life that could never be replaced. He reached out and gently pulled Maxie close, who allowed the contact, and just let him bring out all of the feelings he kept bottled up inside.

His wide chest was struck repeatedly while Maxie cursed. He cursed him, he cursed his team, he cursed Kyogre, he cursed their rivalry, and finally he cursed himself. His fist remained in a tight ball, but no other strikes were made. The two men just sat near each other in silence, each hating themselves for their own reasons.

Zeru and Lani landed behind their trainers. The pair of Crobats brought their large wings around the two men and nuzzled close to aid in comfort. Their soft purple bodies were warm like a gently heated blanket. Of all the pokémon that Archie and Maxie had on their team, Zeru and Lani were their first. The two bat-like pokémon grew up together and battled for many years side by side with their masters. To them, time meant little. They were always loyal, willing to fight against each other when ordered to in the past. Now that they were back together all the scars of those days were pushed aside and forgotten. To them, forgiveness was so simple and easy.

Their wings tightened, bringing the two men closer. Archie found he couldn't hold himself back any longer. With his arms wrapped protectively around Maxie, he sobbed as well. With only their most trusted partners surrounding them, he cared little that he openly wept.

"I'm so sorry Max!" He cried into Maxie's knotted hair, "I was such a fool!"

It was a strange display, both men continued to sob and sniffle while being embraced by each other and their Crobats. Seymour and Agni eventually approached and placed their heads on their prospective master's lap. Triton watched from the shore and with a roll of his eyes he dove back into the waves. A single eye from Brute surfaced from the underside of Archie's boat, he took the opportunity to grab and devour the clothes that had been left out to dry and disappeared again.

Slowly they parted, only once their Crobats allowed it, and awkwardly cleaned their damp, reddened faces. Maxie scratched Agni affectionately and after taking a moment to find his voice he turned to Archie and spoke, "We just need to find Groudon." He paused when his Mightyena licked his face like a mother to her pup, "I need the red orb."

Archie scratched the back of his head awkwardly. After such an emotional moment it was strange to jump right back into business. That was just Maxie's way, that much he knew. Besides, with everything still in danger it was crucial that they awaken Groudon, even though the ex-Aqua leader had reservations about the plan. He failed in controlling Kyogre, how would Groudon be any different?

It appeared that Maxie sensed his worry, "I don't expect to control the beast, that isn't the point."

"What-"

The redhead placed a thin hand on Archie's thigh to silence him while he explained, "All I need is for the beast to awaken. The red orb will give Groudon the power it needs to battle Kyogre. It is in its nature, it will not be able to resist the challenge." Maxie sighed and looked out at the seemingly endless expanse of sea, his fingers dug slightly and he took a large gulp, "That is why I was down in my base. I have the orb stored there in a safe, However, now it is underwater."

Archie layered his rough hand over the other man's, "I can assist with that I believe." He followed Maxie's line of sight and settled on the image of Triton jumping from the waves, "Getting the orb will be a piece of cake!" His face lit up with a wide smile, one that Maxie didn't share. His face softened regardless and his hand remained blanketed by Archie's.

"That may be true..." There was an irritated groan that left Maxie's thin lips, "We'll never get to Groudon's resting chamber! The water is too deep for you to dive in and survive." Whether or not he meant to, Maxie leaned back against Archie's chest. His hand shifted, but remained on his thigh, "I don't want anyone else to die because of this." He continued to ramble, but Archie made no effort to stop him, he just needed to plan his ideas aloud, "It is very possible that awaking Groudon will kill more people! What else can fight Kyogre!? The league already tried and failed and that was when they had all their members. Other league champions are planning to arrive at Ever Grande City, but what will they do? They waited too long, the beast is too powerful."

Maxie finally silenced and Archie took the moment to offer some comfort, "One step at a time. Let's focus on getting the orb first, the rest will fall into place." He ran some of Maxie's hair through his fingertips, "Yer too stubborn and smart to not think of something." He carefully loosened a knot, "It happens to be an annoying trait of yours that was always such a thorn in my damn side." He didn't mean any malice with the words. No, his tone was that of adoration for the shorter man that leaned against him.

Maxie let out a snort, it was the closest thing that Archie was going to get to a laugh.

"I suppose you might actually be right for once in- ACK! What am I touching!" Maxie pulled his hand back, a thick slime coated his palm, "What on earth did you get on your pants!" He shrieked.  

Archie couldn't stop himself, he laughed. Even when the slime was rubbed on the front of his shirt, he kept laughing, "I was petting Brute and got his slime on my hand! I can't believe you touched it!"

"It isn't funny! You are disgusting!"

The taller man had to wipe a tear from his eye, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Yer right, it's hilarious!"

He didn't even wince when Maxie slapped his shoulder, "What can I say? Brute needed love." He turned towards his small boat, "That right Brute? Brute? What! No!" Archie sprung to his feet and stumbled down the incline to his boat, "If you were hungry you should have said something! I only have so much clothing!"

While Archie was busy scolding his trouble-making pokémon, Maxie's lips formed into a slight smile. A small chuckle rose from his chest and for a moment he felt happy.

~*~

 The cabin of Archie's vessel was a bit cramped for both men to lay inside, but if Archie was honest he wouldn't have minded if Maxie didn't raise such a fuss about it. For the sake of silence he stayed out on the deck and watched as Triton swam ahead and Zeru and Lani darted across the slowly darkening skyline.

"Why couldn't we fly to Mt. Chimney?" Maxie yelled from the cabin, he was less than thrilled to be on the "deathtrap" that was Archie's boat, "Kyogre would hardly have to bump this piece of driftwood to send it under!"

"Now didn't anyone ever tell ya to never insult a man's ship?" He caught a balled up shirt that was thrown at his face, "You don't listen to me I swear."

He ducked down into the cabin and pulled out the small calendar that sat out on his table, "First of all, I can't carry all my supplies on the back of our Crobats. Second..." He resisted pushing the calendar into Maxie's face, "Kyogre won't have the energy to rage for another week, give or take a day or so." He added the last part quickly, though it didn't go unnoticed.

"So you have at most an educated guess." Maxie hardly sounded impressed. He was too busy huddling at the floor of the cabin trying to ignore each bob of a wave that passed under them.

"It is more than that and you know it." Archie rolled his eyes and returned the calendar to the side table, "I've been observing Kyogre's patterns. It won't have its full strength again until around that time. This is the perfect moment for us to retrieve the red orb and come up with a plan to make it to Groudon's chamber. You know, to potentially make everything so much worse in the process." He had to make a slight jab at Maxie's plan, "What yer proposing is more of an educated, wait no, a desperate guess."

Maxie practically growled, "Fuck off!"

The ex-Aqua leader threw his hands up, which struck the wooden ceiling, and stomped out, "Be pissy for all I care!" He shot back.

He knew it wasn't all that fair, Maxie had good reason to lash out at him. That didn't change that fact that he was trying to help. He leaned against the edge of his vessel just as the final streaks of light faded into the night. It was comforting to see such a clear evening. Each star gave off a vivid display of light that decorated the sky with pictures. Archie could see the ancient stories that were told to him as a child. Tales of Hoenn's myths told by the stars, reminding the people below that knew how to read them of a history that was to be respected and feared.

Each blazing star could be connected to form the titans that Archie knew all too well. Only back then, he didn't see the constellations as any form of warning. They were guiding his actions to grasp at something larger than himself, both him and Maxie reached for the same hopes and dreams. How similar they really were, even when they were too blind to see it, their actions ran parallel in the course they set out. Now they were tied back together, an invisible tether that connected them even in their rivalry.

The waters were calm and Archie's eyes grew heavy in the gentle rocking. It was when soft red light began to shine in the sea that he became aware. Single red cores glowed under the waves, building in number until they decorated the surrounding water like burning stars.

In fact, they were stars Archie realized. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Staryu floated to the surface. Their cores softly glowing while they sat flat towards the sky. It was a sight that was rarely seen by humans, a large group of Staryu watching the night sky.

Quickly he scrambled back into the cabin, "Maxie, you need to come out and see this."

The redhead grumbled and rolled himself tightly in a blanket, pretending to be asleep.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, get up." He made sure his voice wasn't too alarming, the last thing he wanted to do was startle the pokémon outside. He shook Maxie and continued to bother him until he sat up.

"I told you to fu-"

Archie quickly covered Maxie's mouth with his hand, "Don't yell, you'll scare them away. I really want you to have the chance to see this." He begged.

To his surprise, Maxie nodded and remained quiet even after his hand was removed. It was hard to contain his joy when they exited the cabin and the redhead let out an audible gasp. He flashed Maxie a smile and lead him to sit at the boat's edge and watch the many twinkling cores.

"Isn't this amazing?" He whispered as he tucked a strand of red hair behind Maxie's ear. He only got a slow nod in response as the redhead continued to watch the sea with obvious amazement. It had been too long since he saw Maxie look out at the sea with anything but disgust.

Even though the surrounding scene was amazing, Archie couldn't take his eyes off the man that sat next to him. His face was soft as he watched the Staryu, instead of his usual scowl that deepened the lines in his face and caused him to look far older than he was. It was true that they weren't spring Torchic any longer, but Maxie always held himself in such a way that aged him beyond his years.

It was nice to see him look content, made even sweeter by the fact that he caused it in a way. They watched the Staryu until their red lights dimmed out one by one, leaving nothing but the stars above to shine.   

Maxie descended down into the cabin, a loud yawn leaving him before he curled up on the pile of blankets. Archie was prepared to make himself comfortable out on the deck when he heard his named called.

"Archie, it is your boat. Perhaps you should sleep down here with me."

He peeked down inside only to find that Maxie had moved over to make room for him, "This cabin is actually larger than I previously though..."

The larger man only hesitated to make sure that the ship was still on course, Triton would guide it otherwise. Then he slipped under the covers to rest by Maxie's side.

"I'm cold." He heard the redhead say with barely a breath.

He picked up on the sign and slipped an arm around his thin waist and nestled in close, he couldn't stop the grin from forming. Little did Archie know that Maxie also had a small smile forming on his face.

~*~

The morning was spent moving supplies off the ship and storing them in one of the caves that remained on higher ground. Archie tied down his vessel while Maxie cooked a can of soup over a small fire just outside the cave he was previously calling home. The redhead gathered some metal mugs that he kept in his supplies and proceeded to feed both Mightyenas while lunch cooled.

Zeru and Lani were out hunting. Archie saw them as he traveled up the thin path to Maxie's cave tearing into some unrecognizable prey. They chirped happily as he passed and continued to share their meal. Triton's fin could just be made out in the distance cutting through the water. Brute was in a timeout for eating Archie's clothing so he sat in his pokeball until further notice. Archie wasn't one to punish his team for long, he would most likely let Brute out before the day began to fade.

"Where did you get the pokechow?" Archie inquired as he watched the two pups dig into a shared bowl.

Maxie answered after he poured him and Archie a serving of the vegetable soup in each mug, "The Centers offered food. I collected some there."

Archie thumped onto the ground by the fire, "What! I never heard anything about that!"

The redhead leaned against the rocky wall and took a careful sip of his soup, "It wasn't being advertised well."

Archie grunted and ate his own lunch. He was just pleased that Seymour had something to eat that he enjoyed.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Archie asked. He eyed Maxie when an answer didn't come right away, "Maxie?"

"Right..." It looked like he was a bit conflicted. He placed his mug down on a flat rock and rubbed his wrapped arm, grimacing from the ache, "I'll need to tell you how to get to my office first-"

"I already know how to do that, you should know." Archie playfully pushed Maxie's knee, "I just need the combination for your safe and if for some reason I forget I'll just have Triton pull it out!"

"You won't forget the combination..." he muttered, "It's the date we split the team."

Archie blinked, "Oh."

There was an awkward silence that hovered over the mountain. Both men finished their meal in silence. Archie collected the mugs and washed them out in the sea water, returning to store them back in the cave with Maxie's other supplies.

Archie stretched and popped his neck and back, "Alright." He called out, "I should get down there and get this done..."

The ex-Magma leader didn't look his way, he only poked at the dying flames. Archie approached and wrapped a tentative arm carefully over his shoulders, "What's wrong?"

Their eyes didn't meet, "Maybe we should wait, just until we are absolutely sure this can be done safely."

It was sweet really that Maxie was stalling, but it was also unlike him to allow anything to stand in the way of a plan.

"What are ya afraid of?"

Maxie's red eyes shifted around, the glare from his glasses doing nothing to hide it, "I'm not afraid of anything." He practically hissed, "I just don't want any failure."

Archie pondered for a moment, "You think that I will fail ya?"

There wasn't a direct answer, "How long can you hold your breath?"

"Really?" Archie let out a laugh and rubbed Maxie's shoulder, "Five minutes Max, I will be able to do this in three. Have some faith in my swimming ability. Besides, I'm not going in alone. I'll have Triton. He won't let me..." He stopped himself before he said drown, "I'll be fine."

Archie stood and held his hand out to assist Maxie to his feet, "You can time me. I'll do it in less than three."

Maxie took a long breath and accepted the offered hand. He groaned again from the pain in his broken limb. Archie looked at him with some pity, which caused the redhead to frown, "Don't look at me like that!"

The taller man simply shook his head and reached out to loosen the sling, "Maybe we should wait for just a bit, at least until I can rewrap yer arm and check it out."

Any protest went unheard when Maxie suddenly winced in pain. Archie held the arm firmly, yet carefully as he released the wrappings. His tongue clicked as he slowly shook his head in a disapproving manner.

"What!" Maxie gasped, trying to hold back how much pain he was currently feeling.

"It's on fire Max... Horribly swollen, which isn't a surprise." His large rough fingers pressed into the reddened limb while he carefully watched Maxie's expression, "I need to wrap it a bit stiffer so ya don't stress it so much. I'd hate to leave ya with a permanent disability."

"Could you just finish up please?" Every word was said through gritted teeth.

Archie nodded and proceeded to rewrap the limb, making sure that he wasn't cutting off circulation while at the same time leaving it as still as he could manage with limited supplies. He concluded once he retied the sling, "How is that?"

"Better than before honestly." His face twisted, "I need to take a moment... just a moment. Then we will get this task done."

Archie followed Maxie into the cave and helped him lay down on a flattened out bedroll, "We can wait until after dinner." He ignored the annoyed look Maxie threw his way when he proceeded to pull the edge of the blanket up to cover the smaller man, "Do you need anything?"

"No, just rest."

"Sure."

There was a moment that Archie almost kissed the pale patch of skin of Maxie's forehead, but he stopped himself. It was funny how so little time spent without being on opposite sides of the aisle made past feelings creep back up on him. As he exited the cave and breathed in the fresh air he caught the sight of Seymour and Agni snoozing together in the sunlight. After a satisfying meal it looked like the two of them wanted nothing more than to take a nice long nap. Even Zeru and Lani could be seen perched on the top of the boat's cabin nodding off together.

Maybe there was hope for him and Maxie after all.

~*~

Maxie awoke to a grumbling stomach and the smell of food wafting into the cave's narrow entrance. His vision was blurry and for a moment he didn't realize that his glasses had been removed from his face while he slept. He found them folded up neatly next to his bedroll with a waiting bottle of water. He cracked it open, with some difficultly. Holding between his legs made the action easier and he quickly downed half of the contents.

Once his glasses were perched on his face, he pushed himself off the hard floor and traveled out of the cave. He was greeted by two extremely excitable Mightyenas that nearly send him stumbling off his feet.

"What on earth! Agni, what has gotten into you!?"

The pup in question yipped in response and lowered her head slightly at her scolding trainer.

"She's just 'aving some fun Maxie." Archie's face was bright and cheerful while he poked the white flesh of some form of fish pokémon that Lani probably caught for him.

Maxie's stomach grumbled loudly which pulled a chuckle out from the other man, "Don't worry. I plan on keeping you well fed if you allow me too."

The redhead nodded towards his Mightyena who leapt up and continued to rush about the mountainside with Seymour. Even when the pair was out of sight they could still be heard making joyful calls as they continued their game. Maxie had to admit that he was happy to see Agni in such good spirits. It was something good to come out of a whole lot of bad that still hung on the ex-Magma leader heavily.

Archie pulled the cast-iron pan from the low flames and placed it between the two of them. He held out a fork and waited patiently for Maxie to join.

"Are you at least going to tell me what it is?" He asked while he took the utensil and sat down on the rocks.

"Nah, I want you to guess. It's way more fun for me."

A puff of air flipped Maxie's hair from his face, "Of course..." He scooped up a piece in his hunger and didn't question any further as he devoured it. Having such small servings of food was catching up to the already thin man. He found that he ate his bite so fast that he hardly tasted it.

"Well?" Archie prodded.

"I don't know..." Maxie scooped up another piece, "Let me try again." He managed to make the next bite last longer than the first. That time he definitely caught a gritty aftertaste, "Is this Barboach?"

Archie was chewing part of his own serving so he nodded, "Did it taste like dirt? I thought you might like it- Ow! No need to stab me with yer fork, I was joking!"

Maxie's face held his trademark scowl, but he didn't seem to be horribly offended by the statement. He just continued to eat, though he chose to keep it to himself that he did indeed enjoy the taste of the meal.

The shared dish was done almost too quickly, but it would have to be enough to satisfy for the time being.

"It's time Max..." Archie held out one of his pokeballs, "I already called Triton back, we're ready to go."

There was nothing else that could be said. The task couldn't be held off any longer, "You promised less than three minutes so I expect perfection." Maxie's lips were formed in a tight line that suggested there was still something troubling him about the task, but Archie figured that getting it done would alleviate the anxiety.

They traveled down to the flooded entrance of the base after Archie collected a watch from his cabin, "The time is off, but the second hand works just fine."

Maxie raised an eyebrow and thought to pester the ex-Aqua leader about turning everything into some sort of sport, but truthfully it was comforting to be able to time the dive.

"Five minutes is your max?" He asked.

"Five minutes is my most comfortable, I'll be fine Maxie. This is easy." He called out Triton who burst from his capsule with force. He waited near the slick bank for his trainer to board, "Just watch the time, I'll be back before you know it." He offered the redhead a comforting smile, but Maxie's returned look only made him look like he could lose his dinner.

In a blink they disappeared from view under the surface and Maxie's attention instantly focused on the watch in his palm. The first minute ticked by painfully slow. The redhead gasped for air when he realized he had been holding his own breath. He just couldn't imagine holding for another four minutes longer.

A breeze kicked up as the second minute concluded and on the third there still wasn't any sign of Archie's return. So much for his goal.

As Maxie tried to maintain his focus on the watch, the wind howled in his ears and the sky quickly darkened. There was a shriek from the two Crobats and soon they fled their perch and retreated into one of the caves.

Four minutes and still no Archie. The oversized clothing wiped around Maxie's small frame, his gaze shot to the sky when a rumble of thunder rocked his chest. A fear began to build and once five minutes came and went it solidified into full scale panic.

Archie still hadn't surfaced and the weather was building louder and louder. It wasn't a natural storm that was brewing. Oh no, Maxie knew exactly what was about to occur. It was the same thing he saw back in Sootopolis. For whatever reason it appeared that Kyogre found the strength to rage again and its wrath was focused on Mt. Chimney.

Maxie's whole body lurched when lightning crackled fiercely across the sky above him, like cracks forming on glass in an automobile accident. It was violent and loud and caused the redhead's ears to ring when the crashing thunder shook the mountain.

Angi and Seymour howled in terror at the sight of the redhead frozen in place. Even the incoming pelting rain didn't cause him to move. He was stuck, unable to move his legs to safety for the fear of Archie not returning, but unable to offer any assistance from his fear of drowning.

The two Mightyenas dove into shelter when another flash of lightning lit up the savage sky.

Maxie didn't know that six minutes had now passed, all he could do was try to shield his face from the stinging rain and try to spot any sign of Archie returning to the surface. It wasn't until seven minutes had passed that Maxie saw the Sharpedo leap for the bank. His growl was like the sweetest song when it graced his ears.

Archie wheezed and coughed, Maxie rushed to his side and tried his best to pull him ashore. Triton was returned and the two men were left disoriented in the storm.

"I have it!" Archie gasped, showing the glowing orb before stowing it in his front hood pocket.

They covered their ears when a familiar call broke through the storm. More lightning struck against the mountain causing the two men to stumble over the slick ground to avoid being struck. Any hopes they had to survive relied on them rushing into shelter, "COME ON MAX!" Archie yelled, grabbing his good arm and pulling him as fast as his legs would carry him. He was still winded from holding his breath for so long and in the limited visibility finding shelter was proving to be nearly impossible.

"STAY CLOSE TO THE FACE!" Maxie screamed right as another bolt cracked into the earth sending the pair off their feet. With a sickly crack the redhead struck against a rock. His head was pounding and spinning and in the madness he couldn't tell where the mountain and the angry sea started and ended.

Archie wasn't fairing much better and all he could do was call for the other man in hopes of hearing him over the thunderous sky.

"I'M HERE!" He heard called back and soon he found Maxie struggling to his feet and staggering. He caught him just before he could fall again and damage himself further, "I'm sorry." Archie cried as he pulled Maxie to, what he hoped was, safety.  

His voice was drowned out by another angry cry bellowed out from the raging, battering waves.

His feet found the familiar path the lead up to Maxie's cave and with one final surge of strength he pulled them through the opening only to collapse with Maxie on top onto the rocky floor.  

The mountain continued to rattle and shake from each bolt that blew more rock from its mighty face. The lava pool hissed and spat in defiance from the blankets of water that tried to snuff out its earthly fire.

With each mighty roar from the titan Kyogre more rain pelted against the cave's entrance. The wind pushed the drops sideways, causing the rain to flow into the thin mouth.

Archie gathered what he could muster and lifted Maxie into his arms. With the pounding noise he couldn't hear any protest from the other man as he leaned him against the far wall.

Maxie's eyes were vivid and fearful as Archie worked to clean a filthy wound he collected from the storm. Every quake caused his body to tense, "Kyogre knows!" He began, "It can sense the orb!" His thin fingers dug into Archie's arm, "It will rage until the sea ends us so it can continue without rival-"

Archie took the glowing orb from his pocket and pressed it into Maxie's grasp, "I will not let this beast take anyone I love."

He stood, leaving Maxie to process what he had just said. All the ex-Magma leader could do was watch his old rival stand fearlessly at the mouth of the cave. His face burned with building rage, his unnaturally sharp teeth making themselves known as he yelled, "YOU HEAR ME KYOGRE! WE WILL END THIS! EVEN IF I DIE, I WILL DRAG YOU INTO GROUDON'S FLAMES WITH ME!"

With another crack of lightning Archie got his reply. Kyogre bellowed out a long screeching wail. It was almost as though it was saying, "I would like to see you try."


	4. Eye of the Storm

When the morning finally came and shed its light over the twice-battered mountain, no light leaked into the cave that the ex-leaders sought as shelter. The rays worked to warm a viscous film that stretched over the opening in the rock. There were gurgles and grumbles as the heat began to slowly return to was deemed normal for Hoenn.

Brute, Archie's Muk, brought his eyes to the surface of his body. They scanned the dark opening behind him where he knew his trainer slept inside. Bit by bit he released his sticky hold on the edges and allowed the cave to go from dark to dim. With his final move to pull away from the entrance, he plopped his large body against the floor.

The sound, though not terribly loud, alerted Archie immediately. With care of the sleeping man next to him, he sat up and frantically sought out the source of the disturbing noise. His face quickly faded from slight panic at the sight of his pokémon. He brought a finger to his lips when the creature tried to slither across the rough ground, "Very good scamp." He praised in a hushed voice, "Ya kept all that rain out."

Brute watched his trainer a bit expectantly, his mouth separated and molded back together to show that it was empty.

Archie scratched at the back of his head and offered his pokémon an apologetic smile, "I'll find ya something good, I promise..." He turned his gaze down at the sleeping redhead who had just shifted against his lap, "Once we wake up." He gestured outside the cave, "Won't be long."

Brute seemed fairly satisfied with the promise and made his way out through the cave's tiny mouth that his body had to squeeze through. Archie resisted the urge he felt to yell out and remind Brute not to take snacking into his own sticky hands. It wasn't like he owned many things of value anymore, there wasn't much an insatiably hungry Muk could actually do.

The thought struck the ex-Aqua leader though, after Kyogre's rage that night he probably didn't even own a ship. At least most of the supplies were previously stored in the few caves that dotted the mountainside. They would still get by, they would still eat, they would still live.

They survived the beast's onslaught that night, a feat that Archie worried wouldn't have been possible. Perhaps Kyogre was growing weary, it must have been Archie wagered.  Its usual pattern had been disrupted, all for the chance to prevent them from getting their hands on the red orb. Maxie still held it firmly in his good hand, squeezing it as though it would be stolen right from his fingers while he slept. It was their last chance to set things right, it was Archie's last chance. He never wanted to see Groudon awakened, but Kyogre was a danger that would continue to grow over time. In the beast's moment of presumed weakness they had to act.

Maxie was slow to wake. He grumbled and groaned, his body protesting the new wounds and bruises that were collected from the previous night. Archie felt his own new pains, especially once his arm moved so he could brush hair free from Maxie's forehead. His shoulder screamed with protest, but he ignored its pleas. The pain was tolerable. Especially when his touch was greeted by Maxie's eyes peeking out from his tired lids.

They were a mess, there was no way around that fact. They were waterlogged and battered, two men that were forced to ride out a storm that only wished to tear them to shreds. Regardless of everything that seemed to be stacked against them, they prevailed and were stubbornly living on.

With some assistance, Maxie was soon sitting alongside Archie. His forehead being tended yet again by the larger man. He continued to hold the orb in his grasp, it gave off a gentle warmth that his chilled fingers should have been thankful for. Though it failed to be as soothing as it might have been in the past. The warmth was a sign of the power contained, that power another reminder of the monstrous task that they still were yet to achieve.

 _"One step at a time."_ Maxie told himself and he repeated the line every time his stomach threatened to twist with anxiety. One step was complete, they just had to dust themselves off and ready their shaky legs to take another. Just how they would was still left to be questioned.

"It did a number on us didn't it?" Archie spoke, his fingers trailing down from Maxie's forehead to come to rest at the ridge of his cheek. It wasn't an act that Archie could claim as false intimacy. After such a long night filled with the uncertainty that their lives would continue, Archie didn't want his touch to be brushed aside as anything but. Any answer that Maxie could have offered to the question, that was more rhetorical than anything else, was swept up when lips brushed experimentally.  Their noses bumped and mouths continued to sweep and hover while able limbs moved to grab and bury fingers into weathered hair. Breathing deepened and the pair took the moment to feel the heat off each other's face, the flutter of eyelashes against skin, warm breath puffing against lips. Their nerves were alive, wild, and alert, feeling each and every touch they chose to give to each other. Soon mouths pressed together with more urgency, gasps escaping or perhaps it was a muffled cry of all the time lost between them. It was those sounds that broke down the last of the wall built up between them and with each press of lips and mouths moving and forming into desperate kisses, the wall shattered and crumbled away. Every year spent at odds with each other added another and another, more melding of their lips to try to make up for every moment they waged their war. It was a display of silent apologies, replacing thoughtless and vile words with actions much sweeter.

Damp clothes that once chilled them to the very core didn't hinder the spark, the flame that came alive and breathed the sweet life of their once lost passions. No, it was something far more subtle and pure. It was buried feelings once locked under mountains of stone, left to drown in a vast sea, but now freed despite all desires both men felt at one time to dismiss them forever.

They parted, words wanting to be said so desperately in that moment for fear there wouldn't be another chance again. They knew the words, they felt them bubbling in their chests with each heavy breath and saw the truth behind them as their eyes filled each other's vision.

"I love you."

A wave of relief swept over the pair when they finally admitted it. It was a feeling reclaimed and each hushed uttering that followed was a promise to keep it that way.

Archie's hand shook as he cupped Maxie's face, Maxie's own hand layered on his. Their chapped lips continued to press together, so softly. Each man moved and touched as though the other might shatter like glass, they handled each other with care and devotion. Proving in the softness how precious the other was and their desire to never hurt one another again.

 The red orb that Maxie held so dearly before rest by his side, his hand holding someone more precious to him than the object ever truthfully was. The rivalry they had before was pointless, meaningless in a world that birthed no victors. Magma, Aqua, it didn't matter. No matter who would have reached the end first the consequences would have been the same. They were both fools that chased a blurred vision.

~*~

Faces scrunched up and eyes narrowed when the pair finally left the cave. While the clear sky was a welcome sight compared to the unnatural storm that carved new shapes into the mountain, it didn't change the effect that the sun had on them and their sleepy vision. Once eyes adjusted, they could take in the full damage that Kyogre brought forth. Letting  his arm slip away from its resting place at Maxie's trim waist and his fingers trailing to continue the contact for as long as possible, Archie groaned as he knelt to collect what he knew was scrap from his ship. It was gone, destroyed, and scattered by the beast's wrath. Although it wasn't the most lavish vessel, it had still been a place he called his home.

Maxie continued to squint his eyes and detail what damage he could made out on the mountain. Some caves that held supplies were collapsed, but a few yet remained. Chirps and calls drew his sight above and Archie stood to greet Lani and Zeru once they landed. The pair of Crobats were safe. They nuzzled close to their masters, voices chirping out concerned sounds at the sight of them.

"I'm fine." Archie reassured, his palm flattening against Lani's head.  Maxie nodded only to wince when Zeru tried to lightly touch the wound on his forehead, "It will heal, I'm just glad you are safe."

The Crobat cocked his head, his wings motioning again at his master's face and eyes. The action soon drew Archie's curiosity only to make him realize something awful, "Oh Max, yer glasses..."

Lost again, except Maxie was sure they wouldn't be found that time around. They only had so much luck to spare. His mouth pulled into a half smile before fading, "It's ok, I'll manage like I did before and besides I have..." He trailed off.

Archie chuckled and squeezed his shoulder, "Ya have me, that won't change." Barks and howls from the paths above alerted them, "Seymour! Agni!" They cried out as one.

The pair could hardly prepare when the two rushing hounds leapt onto them, tongues wet faces and tails beat against their bodies. Even though Agni tried to mind her master's broken limb, Maxie still grimaced when he was finally allowed to stand again. The pain didn't overshadow his happiness he felt at the sight of his beloved pokémon.

The morning switched to checking what supplies remained and eating a bleak meal of the salvaged scraps. Once some normalcy returned the crew rested in the sun, Maxie and Archie letting its rays dry clothes completely. It was all they had left to cover worn and battered bodies that were beginning to feel the age they truly were. Maxie let his mind wander, his fingers tracing against the red orb he had stored away in his pocket. He could make out a black blur that was his and Archie's Mightyena. Their Crobats were inseparable and he could see them near as well, flying circles and loops in the sky. A gurgle caused him to turn and see Brute lounging in some muddy shallows. The Muk seemed interested in him and waited as though he was expecting something, someone was more appropriate to say.

"Please don't look at me like that." Maxie pleaded, his hand hovering over an extra ball on his belt, "He's so old and tired, I'd rather he keep resting." The question of whether a Muk could properly show sadness in his fluid features was soon answered and all Maxie could do is apologize, "I'm sorry, Brute. I'm sure Duman misses you too."

"So you still have that Weezing." Archie yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Maxie unclipped the pokeball that held him, "I do, I should have transferred him when I had the chance though. He is just too old now to handle too much stress."

"What would the harm be in letting him out for a short reunion?" Archie asked, he gave his Muk a wink, "Let the two old men catch up."

Brute gurgled with excitement when the capsule shot out its brilliant beam of light and the Weezing soon materialized. Archie was thankful when Maxie tugged at his shirt to hint that they should both cover up their nose and mouth. Right as Duman appeared and sounded out his call, smog and smoke drained without control from his body. It was simply the nature of a pokemon so old. Whereas a Muk only changed and grew based on what it filtered over the years, Weezing typically mutated and grew in toxicity, in a way they were a living disease that continued to fester without treatment. Duman was hardly recognizable from the days when he first transformed into what could be classified as a Weezing and yet, Brute met him smog and all. The pair soon engaged in a conversation in their tongues like no time had gone by. It was as though the pair was chatting like they would in the days that their trainer's wore black, and were branded by that single letter in red. It was time that felt unreal and forgotten like a fleeting dream. Or rather a nightmare if Archie and Maxie were honest in the retelling.

The pair of trainers made their retreat to sit at the mouth of a surviving cave, finally pulling down their shirts to breath clean air, "Ah, I understand now." There was a mournful expression that appeared, "How long does he have?"

Maxie's face twisted, but he didn't allow his emotions to take hold. Truthfully he was happy watching the old pokemon mingle and remind him of the days that he and Archie weren't tearing at each other in their rivalry. Those days were spent with different struggles, but the pair found support in each other and a mutual enemy to hate. It was funny how quickly a relationship could form out of shared hatred, it probably wasn't the most healthy, but Maxie was still thankful for the past they shared.

"I don't know really." He finally answered, "I can't bear the thought of losing him when he inevitably mutates too much, so I've kept him in his ball for as long as I can to preserve him. He is far too toxic to be legal anymore and I worry that I might lose him anyway if seen by the wrong authority."

Archie nudged him gently, "Since when have we cared about authority other than our own?" he teased, though his tone became more sensitive when Maxie didn't respond and he carefully pulled him over to lean against his side for comfort, "It'll be alright. Duman can be free to smog it up all he wants now." He pointed at the pair of poison types, "Brute always loved his smog anyhow."

The air around Duman was always less toxic with Brute by his side, the Muk pulling the smoke and smog from the air into his own body automatically.  The sight made Maxie's face brighten. Duman had been left for so long to fester and disease, but Brute could now be free to try to ease him of the burden by staying near. Perhaps the Weezing wouldn't be seeing the end of his days just yet, especially with his old companion's support.

~*~

Into the afternoon Maxie found himself growing in increased and seemingly unprovoked frustration.  Archie watched his companion with concern dig a worn path into the dirt from his pacing and after throwing a useless chunk of wood from his ship for Seymour and Angi to run off to fetch, he joined Maxie in his walk.

Without needing to be prompted Maxie spilled the thoughts that were weighing on his mind, "I know no other way for us to make it to where Groudon slumbers, but I hate the answer!" He groaned, rubbed his wrapped arm and properly engaged Archie in the conversation. There was pause as though the words he would share would cause Archie to show backlash, but truthfully he was just nursing his pride, "We have to approach the League and ask for their aid." He grumbled further, lines deepening on his face, "Hopefully they will listen. Hopefully Champion Steven and Champion Wallace will see that there is no other way to stop Kyogre."

Archie gave off a nervous chuckle, it was automatic and didn't do well in disguising his worry, "They really have no other options at this point." He half joked, then paused and let his stomach twist with guilt. He didn't want to admit to Maxie that he was ashamed to stand before the Champions. There was punishment he was sure he deserved and he honestly would gladly accept it, but that didn't change his worries about meeting them.

"We have the orb and they must have the means for us to reach Groudon." Archie took a couple of calming breaths and banished any remaining worries that plagued his mind. It felt like surrender and in a way that was what it was, but he knew he couldn't hide forever. "I'm ready to face this." He breathed and the words made the path he had to walk solidify, the sins of his actions would be put to question and he just didn't have all the answers that would surely be called for.

 Watching his companion's obvious anguish, Maxie turned to offer Archie much needed support, "We'll do this together no matter what you hear me? Join me?" The question hung between them, asked with Maxie's good hand held out for Archie to take.

"Always, Maxie." Archie returned, closing the gap between them, " Ya know I'd be willing to be banished to the distortion world with ya." His face softened from the support, "I'll always be by your side, I promise." Their hands met and squeezed, fingers soon moving to lace together to show their new bond and devotion.

The promise was made.

~*~

The remains of Ever Grande City loomed ahead. It was the only remaining structure that stood in defiance of the Hoenn titan that wished to drown the world. Of course now the city was left with hardly a citizen in its doors. Only the brave, the foolish, those that came to try to lend the Hoenn League aid in the crisis remained behind the lavish walls of Ever Grande's most magnificent building.

 The pair of ex-leaders passed supporting looks to each other while they flew on the backs of their Crobats. They looped around each other in the sky. Two dots of purple flying above a sea of blue as far as the eye could see. The patch of land that remained looked like a pathetic speck.

At Mt. Chimney the pair left very little behind, there wasn't much left in terms of supplies between the two of them anymore. They didn't weep the lose and instead focused on the mission plotted ahead. Their teams were safely held on tattered belts and the only object they brought was the red orb that remained in Maxie's pocket. It held with it their hopes that the crisis that befell their home could come to an end. Though the damage already done, the lives already lost, would never be reversed.

On their landing they stopped before a large wooden board, not an original construction to the island. Hundreds of pictures and notes were pinned on its surface. The faces shown ranged in age, but they all shared one thing in common. They were missing. Surely lost forever in the new expanse of sea. Maxie's Crobat returned to his side with a spark of familiar light. Then he walked towards the board as though pulled along by a ghostly grip that clung to his tattered clothing and urged each step forward. A thin hand, one that betrayed his actual age to the world, pressed against a faded picture. On it showed his own smiling face along with Magma Admins, Courtney and Tabitha. The First Admin stood in the center with his vivid eyes gleaming with pride, actually making an appearance in the rare and precious moment.

Maxie fingers hovered long over the picture, his tired gaze not able to match the expression the photo once held. Before the silence could linger any longer, he answered the question hanging in the air that didn't need voice, "I came here before the evacuation was demanded further. I guess I still hoped that he was simply missing and not-" He cut his own words. Even though he knew the reality it didn't change the small amount of denial he held. Turning towards his companon, he didn't look upon Archie with any hatred when and accepted his tender touch of sympathy, "We can't let all this death be in vain." Maxie continued with a cracked voice. He motioned to the board and let every unknown face burn into his memory, "This will come to end with the orb, it must."

Their hands held each other tightly then. Archie's roughened palms warmed Maxie's chilled fingers and the pair took a moment to collect themselves. Each face that was pinned to the board felt like weights being thrown onto his body. It wasn't even an accurate display of how many people were lost, there was so much more weight that Archie felt like he could add himself. Yet, Maxie squeezed back to make it clear he wasn't going to deal with such a burden alone. It was now for the two of them to bear together. The weight was massive, but the extra support helped ease Archie enough for the time being.

 Leaving the memorial behind, they walked up the path to the League. They eyed the many vessels that anchored themselves off the newly created shoreline. At the sight of a small submarine, similar to one by the design of a Captain Stern, Archie's voice took a mischievous tone, "Shall we steal it? That would be easier wouldn't it?"

He was relieved when Maxie produced a small smile, nearly letting a laugh surface from the joke. Although if the redhead was willing, Archie would switch the suggestion to serious. However, Maxie shook his head, "For once we should do this correctly don't you think?"

Archie nodded and shrugged, "I just thought I would offer." He took a deep breath when they neared the large doors that were guarded. The pair must have been quite the sight in their rags and weathered states as they were immediately noticed. Bodies went rigid and hands hovered over chosen team members when two guards came running towards them. Perhaps they would have to fight their way in? Although as Maxie let his hand fall limp, it was clear that he had no wish to do so. Archie found his own drive for battle dissipate and he too made the choice that he didn't wish to fight anymore. They would accept their fate.

"Are you two alright?" One of the guards called out, it was clear as they got closer that they were quite worried over their state.

Maxie and Archie were left speechless. Even when the other guard joined and asked much of the same, they found themselves unsure how to answer. Were they alright? That was a question that didn't have an obvious answer. Their hands continued to grip onto each other and eventually Archie cleared his throat, "My name is Archie Aogiri and I am... was the leader of Team Aqua." In the past he might have grinned at the shocked expression he drew out from the two guards, it was less thrilling than before. The shock eventually morphed to an expression he grew used to seeing and expected it to form, hatred. Yet, the two guards were not immediately reaching for pokemon to cast out to do battle so Archie took it as a cue to continue, "We need to speak to the Champions immediately!"

The first guard that had seemed so concerned before wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Why should we let the likes of you in to see them?"

The lines on Maxie's face deepened and his mouth twitched with irritation.  He pulled his hand free of his companion's just so he could reach into his hood's pocket, "Insolent fools!" He growled and pulled the red orb free for them to see, "We might hold the only key in stopping Kyogre! Now stand aside and allow us entry!"

When the dull light from the orb brightened and warped as though feeding off the Magma Leader's growing rage, Archie had to admit that the sight was almost lovely.

~*~

Steven Stone was doing his best to control what had become a chaotic meeting. It was less a meeting of the world's greatest trainers, but a clash of ideals that was quickly becoming a raging beast much like what they were gathered to stop. Champion Lance from Kanto was the most outspoken, speaking frequently about how much his region had also suffered damage from Steven Stone's perceived failure. Criticism soon morphed into insults and fellow Hoenn Champion Wallace refused to allow his co-champion to be ridiculed. He was quick to fire back that Lance himself couldn't judge and shame when Team Rocket was still rumored to be alive and well despite the Champion's claims otherwise.

Champion Cynthia was also in attendance. She appeared calm refusing to join in the shouting match that was being witnessed, but Steven couldn't help but feel a coldness coming from her. She honestly felt no love for Hoenn and would have much preferred to be in her own region, but the crisis in Hoenn was too vast to ignore. Champion Diantha couldn't make the trip from her region. She instead joined them via Holo Caster. Her hologram was held in Champion Cynthia's palm. While many seemed critical of the Hoenn champs, Diantha tried not to judge Steven and Wallace too harshly. Such a massive crisis could have happened to any region truthfully. The temptation of the rumored legendaries was often too hard to resist. Her own was no exception for she worried that she might have had one beginning to grow in the shadows. For the time being she was happy for the generosity her region could offer to the people of Hoenn in their time of need. If only more people could have been as thoughtful and caring as Fleur-de-lis labs with their countless donations to those in need.

Ex-Champion Alder and Champion Iris were also missing from the meeting. The pair had already offered full support to Hoenn and were quite busy setting up arrangements for the many evacuees.

That left the Champions who could spare the time to discuss the options that were still on the table to end the crisis. After so many failures however, frustrations were flaring and the once calm talks were escalating to moments of shouting and threats of battle.

Even Steven, who wished to remain a voice of reason during the discussions, was at his wits end. No longer sitting at the table where the meeting took place, he pointed across the room at Lance and produced a pokeball from his side, "How dare you say that I didn't try hard enough! I lost a member of my league and many of my people in this disaster!" 

Lance was quick to ready himself for a fight, a fight he had been wanting to have for some time with Steven Stone. His dragon master's cape was flipped with flair and confidence, his chosen pokemon held and ready in his palm.

"Stop this now!" Wallace urged, "This will not solve anything!"

The outburst only caused Lance to turn his growing rage towards the other Hoenn Champ, "I'll battle you as well! Co-Champions!" He spat, "This region has two Champions and yet you were both useless in stopping this!"

While Wallace could be calm like a still pool, his own anger begin to bubble. He too produced a pokemon from his belt and stood ready by Steven's side. Lance responded by adding another member of his team to be called forth and eyes locked to begin the double battle.

 **"GAAARRRRCCCHHHOOOMP!"** A large dragon roared as it was produced from Cynthia's hand. The table creaked and snapped under its weight, threatening to break fully in two from the force of its stomping feet and swishing tail. She leapt up with grace, her long flowing coat not impeding her movement, next to her partner and let her voice boom in the chamber, "I will battle the likes of all of you to make you all shut your mouths!" Her eyes sharpened like the blades on her Garchomp's arms as she stared down each Champion dangerously. It was clear her display was nothing close to a bluff and her skills as a Champion were not something the fellow Champions took lightly.

"Please." Diantha urged with her flickering hologram, still held in Cynthia's hand, "I know tensions are high, but this solves nothing."

Between Cynthia's harsh stares that were mirrored by her Garchomp and Diantha's pleas, the Champions settled back into their seats. Eventually the Sinnoh Champion also returned her partner and came to rest in her own. Diantha breathed a sigh of relief that order was maintained, her hand rested over her chest from the sudden moment of tension.  

While the illusion of order was restored, it left the members of the meeting unsure on how to return to discussing the matters at hand. Hearts still beat in cheats and words said still left sore wounds on targets. It was Wallace that delicately cleared his throat to resume the discussion and just as the question was going to be posed to the council what the next step was, a sudden knocking interrupted the meeting. Steven thanked whatever Legend cared enough to grace him with the excuse to leave the table to get the door. It was important and needed that they all worked together, but the Hoenn Champion wasn't going to pass up the chance to take a break from the mess of a meeting to breathe. Whatever he formed in his mind as was the reason for the interruption, it was quickly cast aside once he met the paled faces of two of the League guards.

They spoke in low voices and urged their Champion to walk out into the hall. The reason became clear when Steven spied past the pair's shoulders to the men standing out in the hall behind them. While they certainly looked worse off than he remembered in Sootopolis, there was no way he would forget the faces of Team Aqua and Team Magma's leaders.  He hardly excused himself to his fellow champions, only a giving a quick wave,  before stepping out and swiftly bringing the doors to the meeting chamber shut behind him. After a few stabilizing breaths, he let his eyes open so he could make sure he really was being met with Hoenn's greatest villain and his rival.  

"Why have you let them in?" He spoke with a warble, it was as though anxiety was tightening in his chest. He switched his attention away from the guards, Ace Trainers that should have been able to keep such people at bay and yet brought them right to him, and focused on his unwanted guests. "Why on earth have you shown yourself." His words were directed at Archie only, "I thought that you killed yourself in this mess you caused, many would have been pleased if that was the case. If this is a surrender then so be it. It's about time that you pay for your crimes." The words were cutting and harsh, they were meant to be. It left Archie feeling his guilt rise again in his stomach until it slithered and settled in his throat and caused him to try to swallow it away. It was no use.

Maxie chose to answer the question as to why they showed themselves, matching the same cutting tone the Champion chose to use. Perhaps it was his right to be so vicious towards them, towards Archie, but it didn't mean that Maxie was going to stand for it. He saw how much the ex-Aqua Leader tore himself apart over the crisis, a crisis he never anticipated. No one willingly wanted such a disaster to take place. "Listen and shut your mouth, you child!" While Steven Stone was very much an adult, to Maxie he was nothing more than a youth given far too much power from a privileged life. Before Steven could react, Maxie's harsh voice continued to rage, "You really think Archie and I for that matter would come here just to surrender ourselves? Use your brain and consider the possibility that we may have an answer as to how this crisis can be stopped!" To mark his point much like he did with the guards he brought out the red orb for the Champion to see.

Steven's eyes widened at the sight of it, his hand automatically hovered over its surface while he marveled at its details. The warmth it produced was unmistakable, the power he knew it held caused his hair to prickle at his neck. Once his hand was allowed to press against the orb and lift it into his own palm, the prickling power was nearly overwhelming, "I... I thought this was lost?" He questioned, his gaze remaining fixed on the red orb.

 "Of course not. Just as Aqua claimed the blue orb, I made sure the red one was claimed for Magma." A smile tugged at Maxie's lips, "It is fortunate isn't it? Now would you allow us to share our plan with the rest of the Champions?"

Steven took a moment to speak to the pair of guards that stood awkwardly during the exchange, "Stay near." He paused as he mulled over a thought, "They are not being taken into custody." His next words targeted Archie only, "Not yet anyway."

The guards nodded swiftly and while the last words served as threat or promise to Archie, he was still thankful that they would be allowed to speak, "I'm happy that you are willing to hear our plea." He spoke with gratitude to the Champion.

Steven's face set in a deep frown hearing his words and he had to resist spouting the anger he felt against the Aqua Leader, but it was shown with the way his fist tightened around the held orb. His free hand hovered and hesitated on the grand doors that would lead them all into the meeting room, "I hope you have good news to share, we need a solution to this mess **you** caused."

Maxie squeezed Archie's shoulder affectionately and let his eyes settle as though they were burning craters at the back of the Champion's head, "We are walking out together no matter what, you hear me?" He whispered.

Archie nodded lightly and even though he wasn't as confident about that being the case for himself, agreed, "Ay, together."

Upon opening the doors, chaos quickly erupted and destroyed the tiny amount of peace that was once restored. The sight of the man that had released Kyogre was the final block that brought everything down into a massive destructive crash. It was in that moment that Archie was thankful that their pokemon were never confiscated from them by the guards, something that slipped their minds when presented by the red orb.

Only nearly dodging a hyper beam that was ordered by one of Champion Lance's Dragonites, Archie and Maxie pulled each other to the floor. The bright beam send chucks of stone free from the walls and the power from the attack crackled through the air. The pair of ex-leaders helped each other to their feet and greeted the attempted assault by calling forth their Mightyenas whose fur bristled at the sight of their masters being threatened. Frost spread and coated Seymour's fangs as he readied to sink his teeth into the enemy dragon, the cold air pooled from around his teeth. Agni's fur bristled like needles and her own teeth snapped dangerously in her maw, ready to follow her mate into any combat. A dragon trained by a master wouldn't be enough to scare off the two hounds, they faced the wrath of a Legend and lived. One dragon with a reckless master wasn't going to make them turn tail with their masters in danger.

 Once Steven collected himself from the force of the hyper beam's blast he leapt to his feet and ran between the two warring sides, his hands held high with the orb still held in his fingers. It drew every witness in the room to its glow, "Stand down Lance!" He yelled, "I have brought them in to speak, not to defend themselves against your assaults."

The Kanto Champ refused to return his partner however, "I don't want to hear any words from these terrorists and neither should you!" He shot an accusing finger towards Steven, a sight he was growing so tired of seeing time and time again.

Champion Steven didn't hold his tongue, "You would rather fire first instead of hearing what they have to say!? You have offered nothing to assist this crisis other than countless criticisms in mine and Champion Wallace's handing of the situation." He took a quick draw of air, but continued before he could be interrupted, "Return your pokemon and sit in your seat or so help me, I don't care how little of Hoenn remains. If you act so rash in my League again and attack, I will have you banned from Hoenn's waters!"

A hush swept over the room and the two Champions stared each other down in a perceived test of dominance. Only the sounds of two Mightyenas growling low and Lance's Dragonite returning its own threats could be heard. They were waiting patiently for commands to be called so strikes could be unleashed. Eventually all pokemon were returned to their masters reluctantly and Champion Lance took his seat quietly, though the tension remained.

Steven was as satisfied with the outcome as he could be. Although he wound himself growing quickly impatient and motioned for Archie and Maxie to stand center before the council. Once he took his seat next to Wallace, who passed him a concerned look at how he rolled the red orb continually under his hand with what appeared to be stress and annoyance, he urged for them to explain their presence.

All eyes focused with intensity as though they hoped the world would open up and devour both men away and it was clear that they were seen as nothing but enemies to all in the room. Maxie collected himself and readied to speak much like he once did in the past to all his followers, his posture straightened as well as it could and single arm that was able tucked behind his back, "Champions," he began, "I believe that we have found a way to stop Kyogre's rage in our region and we ask that you may assist us in completing the task at hand to do so." Maxie pointed to the blur that he knew was the orb that rest in front of Champion Steven at the table, "The blue orb was what awakened the titan known as Kyogre, with the red orb we can awaken Groudon to serve as its opponent." Anything else Maxie wished to explain was drowned out by the flurry of voices that shouted from the Champions' table. The ex-Magma leaders words were lost in the storm and try as he might he couldn't regain the control he had lost from the small audience.

Archie hollered over the storm, his face red from anger. He would not let their plan go without being heard, not when they were so close to completing it, "It is the only way to stop this now!" He roared, "We need Kyogre to be challenged and the only beast that can do that is Groudon!" His voice raised higher still so he would continue to be heard, "All we need is the means to reach Groudon's resting chamber!" He nearly begged for the Hoenn Champs to understand, it was something that left a nasty taste in his mouth even of it was a necessity to do so, "You know this is the only way! Let us be put in danger to fix this if that convinces you!"

Lance was quick to criticize again when he saw what he perceived as Steven pondering the words, "You would honestly give in to such an insane request! Arrest them both and be done with it!"

Lance's statement brought out the fellow Champions' voices and soon Steven found himself outnumbered in the chamber. While he wasn't completely sold on the plan posed, he couldn't deny that it was their only viable option at the moment. Both Cynthia and Diantha expressed concerns for the eco-terrorist's plan and wished for the two men to be detained. They had the orb after all, they could take time in deciding if it was the best course of action to take. If they followed such a course of action they all needed to be sure it was wise and be ready to deal with the wrath of two powerful Legends.

"You cannot waste anymore time!" Archie cried out in opposition, "It has to happen now while Kyogre is weakened. If ya drag yer heels, it will gain its power back and the plan may fail! This cannot be left to be pondered anymore!"

Champion Steven met the ex-Aqua leader's gaze and it was clear that he agreed to the surprise of both Archie and Maxie, but his hands were tied. He couldn't rule over the entirety of the council without harsh backlash. The majority was calling for Archie and Maxie both to be taken into custody and Champion Steven had to follow. With so much help being lent out to his region, there just wasn't anything he could do to act against it.

"I'm sorry." He spoke and by the sound of his tone he actually seemed so, "We will consider this option and we are thankful that you brought the red orb to us, I'm afraid however the council finds that you both must be detained." His voice returned to his authoritative tone, "Maxie Matsubusa, Leader of Team Magma. You are being held for aiding a wanted terrorist, for the theft of an ancient artifact, "He marked that statement by tapping on the orb before him, "and for conspiring to unleash Groudon onto Hoenn." He turned his attention onto Archie and while he really did agree with the plan he helped bring forth, he still felt massive hatred in his heart for everything that Team Aqua did, "Archie Aogiri, Leader of Team Aqua. You are being held for the mass destruction and loss of life done by your actions. You are a terrorist and will be tried as such. Your crimes of thievery and hijacking along with threats of violence and kidnapping will not go unanswered for. You will be tried to the fullest extent of the law and will pay dearly for your vile acts."

The Champion called for the guards outside the door to finally take them into custody, an action that most thought should have been done from the start. Before they had the chance however, Archie spoke, "I'm sorry too..."

With quick actions he reached for Maxie's belt and threw out one of his companion's pokemon. Him and Maxie hardly had the time to cover their noses when Duman appeared with a flash and loud call, "Smokescreen!" Archie shouted through his filthy shirt and the pokemon automatically obeyed without question. The thick smoke poured without restraint from the Weezing's many pores and was quick to fill the space in the eye watering smoke. While the two ex-leaders made their way through the new confusion hand in hand, they snatched the red orb free from the table before Steven could think to snatch it back up into his grasp himself and turned to make their escape. Once in the doorway, Archie called Duman back and ran before the Kanto Champ could order his rereleased Dragonite to blindly fire another hyper beam. The pair of blinded guards posed no threat and were easy to push past, although Archie felt a bit guilty for knocking them on their asses.

He felt apologetic for his actions, but chose to worry about the consequences after he and Maxie made their escape. Once out of the building, surely with Ace Trainers and Champions quick on their trail, they could easily take to the air on their Crobats. Instead Archie focused and pointed towards the same submarine he noticed before, "Wanna steal a sub with me now?" He asked with a nudge. Even though Maxie was breathing hard and trying to catch his breath from the sudden sprint, he returned Archie's cheeky grin.

~*~

Coughing through the thick clouds of toxic smoke that remained even with the source removed, the Champions rushed out from the Hoenn League only to watch helplessly as the pair of eco-terrorists slammed shut the lid on the tiny sub while it powered to life. Not much could be done to stop them once the vessel disappeared under the waves and descend under the sea.

All eyes were on Steven Stone who stood frozen on his feet. He continued to stare at the spot the submarine was once parked as though it hadn't just been stolen by two men on a mission to awaken yet another beast in his region. Eventually Wallace approached to break him of his trace, "Steven, "He whispered, "We should evacuate while we still can, I doubt the league will remain standing once Groudon is unleashed."

Steven nodded gravely and turned to address the remaining people at the league, "We need to send out one final warning for any remaining people to evacuate and then we must follow suit, Hoenn is lost."

For once Lance didn't have any criticisms to share, he seemed just as shocked as Steven as to what just occurred.

~*~

Once under the sea with nothing but the flooded world of Hoenn underneath them, Maxie soon realized how little he cared to be trapped in the tiny sub. While Archie controlled the vessel and charted the course needed to return to Mt. Chimney, Maxie avoided any and all chances to view the watery world outside the safety offered to him by the submarine. He instead stressed his eyes to look at what supplies were available to them. A pair of diving suits lined the rounded wall along with O2 tanks to pair with them. A shiver crawled up his back at the thought of having to use them. It was possible the submarine would only take them so far, but being forced to swim the rest of the way seemed so daunting and impossible. Working up the nerve, Maxie finally joined his companion at the front of the vessel. Every creak in the hull as Archie guided it deeper made Maxie wince, he did his best not to show it.

Even if he tried not to show it, Archie wasn't a fool, "She'll hold up, don't mind the noise." He rubbed apologetic circles on the other man's shaky knees in the hopes of calming them, "If ya want, it might be best to catch some rest while ya can."

Maxie shook his head in protest, "I won't be able to rest easy here." He grumbled.

Archie nodded, "Fair enough," He looked over the flooded world he created, sadness crept and clung to his features and snuffed out any joy he might have tried to maintain, "I'm glad yer still doing this with me, but..."

"But?" Maxie prompted while he finally gave in to watch the same sight that surrounded them on all sides. It didn't need to be perfectly clear to have a strong effect. While the sea below them from Ever Grande was nothing but blackness from the deep trenches below, the closer they got to Mt. Chimney they would soon see sights that did not belong at the floor of the ocean.

"But," Archie finally added, "there is a strong piece of me that wishes ya left. Left me with the orb to awaken Groudon alone, seems fitting."

 Maxie puffed out a breath of air in annoyance, "You really think I would let you have such an honor? Who spend the last ten years working up to this moment?" The question was rhetorical, "You got your chance in that chamber to see a titan come to life, even though it was disastrous, I want that chance for myself." Maxie let out a sudden laugh, the likes of which caught Archie off guard, "I suppose the Champions' were right in their wish to detain the both of us. We both are insane enough to want to see the end of our years of work." The red orb was produced from Maxie's pocket and he let the light it gave off filter over his face, "At least this time we know that it has to be done. It isn't just the curiosity, the hope to create a world that is better for humans or pokemon, or to be able to claim victory over one another, this time I feel a sense of duty in the action." The orb was hidden back away and the ex-Magma leader regarded his companion, "It is more fitting that we do this together, just as I was also in that chamber with Kyogre and watched you, I hope you give me the same honor."

One misstep in Archie's original plan could have meant that the pair was traveling instead across a husk where the ocean once lie instead of deep in the sea. They could have been driving, kicking up clouds and clouds of dust, with only drops of drinking water to spare. All for the hopes of finding that one underwater pool where Kyogre rest so they could awaken the beast to fight Groudon. It amazed Archie how foolish they both had been and still were when it came right down to it. Why did they ever believe that their plans were wise, why did they ever start such a pointless and childish war?

His hand squeezed Maxie's knee tighter and soon he felt Maxie's touch layer over his. He had to admit that this time he really did want to see Maxie succeed. Let Groudon wake and bring with it all its ancient wrath.

Their hands gripped tighter, almost desperate for the connection.

 Was Maxie thinking the same thing as he? Did he plan for them to return from the mission? Something in Archie's mind was preparing him for the worse, something made him worry that it was their end they were going to face together. At least the fact remained that they would face it together. That thought brought them both enough comfort and peace with the possibility, at least if that was their fate they wouldn't have so many regrets, no more between the two of them.

Silence lingered between the pair as the true ocean floor passed beneath them and the flooded land came into focus. It showed lost forests drowned below, remnants of homes, and pathways trainers young and old once walked. Their sight never settled on one thing for long, especially Archie's. Every building logged with water they passed over made him wonder if any dead were still present inside. Were any of the countless missing, whose pictures would forever be remembered, hidden away in the buildings that would now serve as their tombs?

Something else, unknown yet feared by them, lurked in the new ocean depths. It watched and waited as the tiny sub came closer to where it hid. It could sense the orb, feel the power that resided inside it. Although Kyogre was weak, it couldn't rest and allow the orb to reach where Groudon lie dormant.  Slowly it cut through the cold water, its shadow casting the vessel into the dark.

Hearts pounded in both men's chests. They knew what was hunting them, they knew what Kyogre wished for their fate to be. Maxie sprung to his feet and even though he only had one arm free to do so, he was quick in tugging the diving suits loose from the wall. With quick instructions yelled my his partner, he secured them each with an O2 tank and dragged one over for Archie to wear. The shadow darkened their sight again on the second pass and the ex-Aqua leader pushed the vessel to speed up further, despite his knowing that such an action was certainly in vain. He left the controls in favor of assisting Maxie into his own suit. His broken arm making the task near impossible on his own. If Kyogre chose to attack them now, he wanted Maxie's suit to be ready before his own. The fear was tangible, flashing across Maxie's features as he tried desperately to calm his wild nerves.

The shadow passed over again a third time and both men froze when the large titan's eye gazed in at them. The eye burned like a reddened coal in a fire, showing plainly the beast's wishes to destroy them. Just like the calm before a storm they knew it wouldn't be long for them. Not knowing if it would be goodbye, Archie pressed a kiss onto Maxie's lips before placing the diving mask onto his face. Then he managed to place his own before the crash knocked them free from their feet. Even weakened, Kyogre still struck with massive force on the tiny submarine. It was nothing more than a child's toy to the beast. The beast like a child in that moment, pretending to destroy its new toy in the turbulent waters. Of course to Kyogre, it wasn't a game of pretend. It fully wished to destroy and warp the metal that shielded them, its hope was to crush the vessel and leave it in ruins.

The hull of the submarine cracked and stressed, letting free streams of water that slowly filled the inside. It didn't matter that Maxie would be able to breathe even once it filled completely thanks to the mask sealed over his face. He panicked and clawed and screamed and begged to be released. He was trapped again in a tiny space that filled without end. Memories of being in his base while water rushed inside screamed in his mind and caused his chest to tighten without mercy. Archie reached out in the chaos, gripped and pulled the panicking man close until he could do nothing but thrash against him. His body was like a protective cocoon and soon Maxie's movements slowed and his mind tried to focus on the one truth he could reach for in his fear. Archie would pull him free from the raging water no matter what, just as he had before.

 All they could hear was the hissing of pressurized water though the breeched hull. They continued to be thrown in what seemed like slow motion seemingly endlessly by the enraged beast outside. Lower and lower the sub sank, the pressure pushing the water inside at a quickened rate. To the very bottom of the new sea floor it fell and finally rested. Any power it once produced darkened and flickered out by Kyogre's attacks.

Kyogre floated above it and watched to see if any life would reveal itself from within. It swam around and nosed the wreckage with interest, but nothing stirred from within. After many moments the beast tired of waiting and satisfied with its destruction, swam on to finally regain its dwindled energy.

Slowly, so slowly, the two stubborn survivors revealed themselves from the battered wreckage. They swam free and floated together where people once hiked and prepared to ascent Mt. Chimney's walking trails, all for the chance to see the lava pools above. Maxie and Archie did so once before. Not in the days that Team Aqua and Team Magma existed, but before such groups rallied them against each other under separate banners.

Maxie let his feet press against the same ground they once walked together, still watching cautiously for Kyogre to return and finish them off. The landscape could hardly be recognized, but with a few remaining landmarks that survived the flooding, Maxie led the way. Each man only focused on their breathing and the sight of each other. It served as a lifeline and goal that powered them to keep moving ahead. Even though the beast tried to again, to take their lives, they survived in spite of it. Maxie's legs kicked and slowly propelled his body to the best of his ability. In any other circumstance, Archie might have been pleased to see him diving with him. It was a hobby that he always wished to share with Maxie in the past, something he was always so vehemently against. It was bittersweet that such destruction was what finally had them diving in the sea together, so bittersweet in fact that Archie couldn't bring himself to enjoy it even slightly.

So they swam on and continued towards their goal. They refused to stop even when Lavaridge's wreckage was sighted, only taking note how the water warmed from the many hot springs that fed into the area.

They swam until legs cried out in protest of the action and continued together even when Maxie could barely push himself to kick. So Archie held him at his side and urged him on when they met the base of the mountain they both called their shelter. Hidden in its many grooves to those that did not know where to look was a disguised path that would lead them to their goal. It was a path so close to Magma's now flooded base, so close in fact that Archie marveled at how tight the race was between them in their old rivalry. Deeper, deeper, farther than the Magma base that rest near, they swam. Shoulders brushed rock when cramped corridors filled with sea and debris that tried to block their progress. It was the signs of Kyogre's many attempts to lock its counterpart away for good. Finally the paths opened into wide chambers and the pair began to feel relief. It wasn't until they swam towards a surface, an untouched bubble of precious air, that they felt new life surge through their tired limbs. Maxie's legs kicked him ahead and even with only one arm free and able to do so, he pulled himself free from the water, pulled his mask from his face, and breathed in hot, humid air.

"We made it..." Maxie sighed, his face was wild and bright when he faced his companion behind him. Years upon years led up to the moment that the ex-Magma Leader had once wished for more than anything and his excitement couldn't be contained. Pulling free from the constricting suit, he let it rest at his heels forgotten once the orb was revealed from its hiding place. Its glow was brilliant, far more so than before and with only bubbling magma pools to light the sacred resting chamber, they were thankful for the guiding beacon.

Archie followed behind, tugging at his stretched out collar to try to feel some relief from the rooms intensely stuffy warmth. Beads of sweat only grew in size and refused to lift from his skin and yet Maxie seemed perfectly at ease in the heat. His skin hardly showing a glimmer of sweat. It made sense though, the man was always one to complain about being cold in the dead of summer.

The way Maxie held himself as he walked on, if it wasn't for his wrapped arm still held in the make-shift sling, one would think that he hadn't suffered a single injury to his body. Strength powered his steps, excitement rose and bloomed in his chest and no amount of pain that lingered would stop him from completing the journey.

Outstretched before them was a massive lava pool, but it was the sleeping form of Groudon that drew their eyes immediately. With orb held forward like an offering, Maxie stepped forth to stand at the ledge that overstretched the dangerous molten rock below. Archie was automatic with his action, his hand reaching and gripping Maxie's shirt. It wasn't to stop him however, not like such an act would have been if the circumstances were different. He only wished to pause the moment just long enough, long enough for his words to reach, "I love you, please be careful."

Maxie nodded slowly and took his place at the edge. With orb thrust high above him, it erupted and bathed the chamber in its red light. Causing Archie to shield his eyes, they shot back open once a sound rumbled in his chest and rocked the earth around them. Groudon's eyes came alive with light that rivaled the pool it rested in, and with heavy steps it waded forth to meet the man who woke it from its slumber.

How does one not show fear being face to face with such a massive creature? It would be impossible not to. Maxie's knees threatened to buckle as Groudon's maw hovered far closer than what was comfortable. The heat rose to near suffocating levels as it breathed and Maxie could only offer it the orb he held in hopes that it understood his request. It reacted instantly as it touched the beast's crown and sank within it to be lost from Maxie's sight. Then knees did weaken completely and buckle and the ex-Magma leader crumpled like a puppet cut from strings. As Groudon let out a triumphed roar, its body lit up like fire as the beast transformed before their very eyes, the ground shook with savage force as it sought out the means to escape its resting chamber. Rocks fell free from the ceiling, sending splashes into the hot air and waves of lava to lap at the solid ground.

Archie ran on uneven ground fearlessly and pulled Maxie away from the crumbling ledge. It was a fortunate action on his part as the ledge fell into the pool below, rocks melting away into the surrounding liquid, a fate that Archie was glad he spared his love.

Groudon roared out again in frustration, its arms and tail lashing out at the walls of the chamber. It had no desire to remain trapped when it could sense that its companion had been allowed to be free for far too long without restraint. More growls and grumbles fell from its massive mouth before eyes glimmered with an idea. It chose instead to create its own exit, forcing its massive body through the stone above and leaving the chamber to fill with water that spat and hissed on impact at the lava pools.

Two men sat together hundled on the quaking ground, walls cracking and crumbling around them. They watched as lava turned water to steam only to blacken when more water pooled in after it. Any words that they might have tried to say were impossible to hear in the collapsing chamber. Instead they held each other and  supported their legs to stand while they tried to run across ground that was soon filling with hot water that lapped at their ankles. They ran as fast as they were able in the arrangement, hoping that the rocks above would hold long enough to allow them to pass.  

Soon standing at their only escape, the flooded opening they traversed before, Archie's belt was thrust into Maxie's hold, "Leave now!" Archie yelled and begged, "Take Triton and swim out! He will make it if he just takes you!"

Another tremor threatened to knock them from their feet, but Maxie stood stubborn with Triton's capsule selected. He called forth the pokemon, but refused to board, "Archie!" He yelled, "It's time to go!"

"Leave now!" Archie shot back, ignoring the frantic gaze his Sharpedo gave him.

"Archie, you are coming with me now!" Maxie demanded, then he tried with all his might to pull the ex-Aqua leader onto the Sharpedo with him. His teeth grit and eyes threatened to water when his broken limp came unset from the strain, "You promised we would do this together, that we would leave together!"

More rock crashed around them from above and Maxie pulled and held tighter with desperation. He reached for any fabric he could grasp, threatening to tear a chunk of Archie's shirt in the struggle, "YOU PROMISED!"

Another crack viciously cut through the stone that held the weight of the mountain at bay above, "YOU PROMISED!" Maxie cried out again, his voice growing raspy from his yelling. Soon the supports were lost as another quake rocked the earth below them and the rock fell free from the cracked ceiling above, sealing the chamber shut forever.

~*~

 

~Epilogue~

 

Hoenn's landscape was forever changed. Three days did the beasts that ruled over land and sea fight for dominance and control. Jagged mountains stabbed into the sky only to be wore down again by sheets of rain and pounding waves. The fight drew the sights of those deemed foolish to try to watch such a sight, but with shaky hands working cameras, the rest of the world huddled around television sets to see if Hoenn's Legends would tire.

They soon did after countless clashes against one another and with the region around them an unrecognizable mess, they found themselves at a standstill. The sky opened up above them and at the call of another the Legend of Land and Legend of Sea ended their war in favor of long slumbers.

The crisis had finally come to pass.

~*~

Steven Stone had a lot he had to answer for, but with Wallace by his side he answered all questions with grace. He couldn't call himself a Champion to a region he felt he failed in saving so he gave up his title willingly and vowed to use his remaining resources to build the region back up when the new land was deemed safe to travel.

"What of the Leaders of Team Aqua and Magma?" A reporter asked, her microphone pushed into Steven's face, "Will they be found and tried for Hoenn's destruction?"

The question caught the once-Champion off guard, but he figured that it really shouldn't have in retrospect. The people would want justice and it was only reasonable to call for the men that awakened such creatures onto the region. Though he wouldn't say, at least to the many reporters and cameras that would broadcast such a stance to the world, he was thankful that the men known as Archie and Maxie acted and worked to make right their mistakes.

So he cleared his throat and gave his answer for all to hear, "I believe Archie Aogiri and his associate Maxie Matsubusa have already paid the ultimate price for their crimes against Hoenn and the world."

On the completion of his statement a roar of further questioning arose, but Steven Stone simply waved them off while a League representative took to the mic. He managed a smile when Wallace led him to board a waiting helicopter. They were bound to Unova as guests until the day that Hoenn could be rebuilt. Before the blades whirled to life they heard the representative say his final piece to the press.

"No further questions." 

~*~

A jagged slab of land was greeted by light and warmth from the morning sun. It was reminiscent of a broken vase mended together in hopes that no one would notice the cracks and missing shards. Though Hoenn was restored and water receded from its shores, the once beautiful terrain was devoid of its past splendor. It would take many years for the region to begin to regain the lush life it once held, but it now had the chance to do so.

Mt. Pyre's summit was the only point that remained untouched, its patches of grass glistened as dew captured the light offered. Meeting the quiet morning came a man whose red hair was wild and loose around his aged and weathered face. With his uninjured arm he threw out pokemon to meet the day along with him. Crobats burst forth and took to the sky while a pair of Mightyenas bound up the slopes and rolled in the still damp grass. An old Weezing and equally as old Muk conversed by the summit, the Muk filtering clean the air around his toxic companion.

Of by the shore a Sharpedo was released and nuzzled lovingly into the redhead's palm, careful not to rub his skin raw in doing so.

"He likes ya, Max. I knew he would someday." Came another voice from the cave.

The Sharpedo growled with excitement when his master approached and knelt near to offer his own affections to the loyal creature.

"He had no choice really." Maxie spoke fondly, "We both have too much in common."

"Oh?" Archie said with amusement, "And that would be?"

Maxie's face reddened, "You know what that is, don't expect me to say it every day."

The pair gave the Sharpedo a few more pats before watching him swim off out of sight. They walked up the path that still led them to the summit and watched as Hoenn's new land bathed in the light around them. Just like the scarred and mended land, they shared their own series of scars between each other. What they were left with was a broken vase glued together and not as perfect as it was before. In their rivalry they lost pieces of their relationship and nearly broke what they had into a fine powder. Together it was mended into something that couldn't yet hold water, but they were still willing to search for the missing pieces to try.

Fingers brushed hesitantly and soon fingers intertwined and they stood hand in hand like they promised they would. Hoenn was rough and new and held bitter memories that they were sure would still surface between each other. They had hurt and cursed each other's lives and wished so strongly for damage to befall the other, but they didn't wish for that now. Now they just wanted to try and heal those past wounds and together they would learn to forgive the pains they cast between them.

 Maxie and Archie stood at the summit overlooking a new Hoenn, hands held each other strong and hearts swelled on their company.

"I want to say it then." Archie whispered, his lips brushing Maxie's ear.

"I do too." He responded and the pair embraced and let the words voice together.

"I love you."


End file.
